Airtel Adds 5,300 Broadband Towers In Three Months: Report

Almost all telecom operators are setting up 4G mobile towers in the country. In fact, they have a target to set up more 100,000 mobile towers as soon as possible. Now, it has been reported that only Airtel is adding more 4G mobile towers than Vodafone-Idea in India.

However, the report said that Reliance Jio is still leading in those terms. The report by Axis Capital said that Airtel has added 5,300 broadband towers in the last three months, while Vodafone-Idea has only added 1,500 mobile towers in the country. It is expected that Airtel will soon match the Reliance Jio numbers. The operator has also intimated that it is working with partners to make it possible.

The brokerage firm suggested that Airtel is adding 18,700 Base Transceiver Station (BTS) in every quarter as compared to Vodafone-Idea 15, 100 BTS. "BTS addition in Q3FY20 was at the same level for VIL and Bharti (at 12,000)," the brokerage said. The firm added that Reliance Jio has more BTS and 4G towers in the country.

The brokerage said "Airtel still lags Jio on tower fiberization in India. Around 30 percent of Airtel's towers are fiberized against 60-70 percent for Reliance Jio." Adding to that, "This may constrain Bharti's backhaul speed and act as a bottleneck for data growth on its network."

For the unaware, the Airtel is already shutting its 3G business and towers in India as it is focusing on 4G networks only. The company has already shut down in 11 circles. The operator is offering 4G in 22 circles.

Meanwhile, Airtel has launched many plans for its prepaid customers. The company has announced a free talk time of Rs. 10 for 80 million customers. The operator has extended the validity of prepaid plans until April 17, 2020.

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