Airtel already provides 5G coverage across India after the telco launched the service in 2022
Airtel Business, the enterprise branch of Indian telco Bharti Airtel, is experiencing strong demand for private 5G services among its enterprise clients, local press reported, citing a private report.
“Since launching 5G, we have observed significant demand from our enterprise customers for solutions that harness this technology’s full potential,” said Alok Shukla, Airtel Business’s SVP of data products and business solutions. “Customers are keen on how 5G can enhance their digital transformation efforts, from boosting operational efficiency to developing new business models,” Shukla said.
According to the report, Indian enterprises are demanding ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) for critical operations, massive machine-type communications (mMTC) to support IoT devices and enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) for high-speed data.
Shukla highlighted that Airtel is currently deploying private 5G networks for businesses, addressing needs in areas like smart factories and autonomous vehicle operations. “Many industries are seeking customized solutions, such as Private 5G networks, tailored to their operational requirements,” he said. “Our Private 5G networks enable applications such as smart factories, autonomous vehicles, and real-time quality control. These solutions help businesses optimize operations, reduce costs and increase productivity. For instance, smart factories gain from automation and robotics, while logistics improve accuracy through better inventory management and asset tracking,” Shukla continued.
The report also highlighted that Airtel is also piloting end-to-end network slicing, which enables telecom operators to create multiple, isolated virtual networks on a single 5G infrastructure, each customized for industry-specific needs. “This technology creates multiple virtual networks within a single physical 5G infrastructure, each customized to meet the specific needs of industries like healthcare, transportation and manufacturing,” Shukla explained, adding that this approach will drive new business models and diverse applications across various sectors.
Bharti Airtel’s 5G network currently reaches 140,000 villages, while its 4G network coverage extends to 800,000 villages across India, according to recent press reports.
The telco covers all 7,900 towns in India with both 5G and 4G technologies. Bharti Airtel ended its first fiscal quarter of 2025 on June 30, with a total of 90 million 5G subscribers, Gopal Vittal, CEO of Bharti Airtel, said during a recent conference call with investors.
The executive noted that the company had ended the previous fiscal quarter with 72 million customers in the 5G field.
To accommodate the growing number of customers migrating to its 5G network, Airtel previously said it is in the process of re-farming its mid-band spectrum to expand 5G services on its 1.8 GHz, 2.1 GHz and 2.3 GHz bands across India.
Airtel is currently using equipment from Ericsson, Nokia and Samsung to provide 5G services. The Indian operator had secured a total of 19,800 megahertz of spectrum in the 900 MHz, 1.8 GHz, 2.1 GHz, 3.3 GHz and 26 GHz bands in a previous auction carried out by the Indian government in July 2022. In July 2024, the telco secured additional spectrum to expand its 5G offering.
