Punjab has welcomed Bharti Airtel 4G services in Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali, making the Tricity area the fourth region in India to receive the network operator’s ‘fastest’ data facility. If the LTE technology implemented by the company lives up to expectations, customers should be able to avail of HD video streaming and extremely speedy uploading or downloading of content amongst other things.
The CTO and Director of Airtel’s Network Services Group, Jagbir Singh, stated that the debut of 4G services in the Tricity should cater to a ‘huge market’ demand for faster data packages. He went on to assert that the introduction of this facility means the company has brought in the very best in broadband technology which is currently available across the world. Here’s a point though, with 3G already being touted as relatively expensive by a lot of people, it’s clear that coaxing consumers to move onto the ‘next big thing’ will be a task.
So far down the line, the telecom giant has managed to gain Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) licenses for Kolkata, Punjab, Maharashtra (not including Mumbai) and Karnataka circles. It has already let loose its 4G facilities in Kolkata, Bengaluru and Pune too. What’s more, the company has also laid hands on 49% interest in Qualcomm AP’s India units that own BWA licenses in Haryana, Delhi, Mumbai and Kerala. So it was naturally anticipated that these aforementioned regions would be treated to high speed wireless services too. And indeed, the network operator has given word on the same.
At present, Airtel 4G services are being offered in the form of 5 different plans – Break free, Break free max, Break free ultra, Break free ultimate and Break free supreme. All the schemes are available for prepaid as well as postpaid packages. But the attached cash back bait is only for those who sign up for a postpaid account. The lowest monthly rental rate is Rs. 999, while the highest amounts to Rs. 4,799. Additionally, there are no charges after the monthly data usage limit is crossed, though the speed does decrease to 128Kbps. An indoor CPE with Wi-Fi or a multi-mode dongle can be picked up for Rs. 4,999 as part of a special deal.