Airtel Xstream AirFiber has recently expanded its services to new cities across India. Initially launched in Delhi, the service gradually extended to Gurgaon and several other cities in the National Capital Region (NCR). Presently, it has been introduced in Gujarat and West Bengal as well. The current list of cities where Airtel Xstream AirFiber is available includes Noida, Ghaziabad, Delhi, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Kolkata, and Rajkot. Airtel is expected to continue expanding the availability of Xstream AirFiber to more cities across the country in the coming weeks or months.
This expansion reflects Airtel’s strategy to leverage 5G networks for monetization purposes. Additionally, 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) services offer a viable solution for areas where deploying fiber infrastructure is challenging. While fiber optics typically offer higher reliability compared to wireless connections, 5G FWA, or AirFiber as branded in India, can address connectivity gaps in areas where fiber deployment is unfeasible, thus enhancing accessibility for users.
Currently, Airtel offers three plan options to customers, priced at Rs 699, Rs 799, and Rs 899, respectively. The Rs 699 and Rs 899 plans include Over-The-Top (OTT) benefits. Notably, Airtel requires customers to commit to a minimum subscription period of six months to avail of the FWA service, with no monthly plan option available at present. This subscription model helps offset the cost of providing Consumer Premises Equipment (CPE) to customers. Additionally, there is an installation charge of Rs 1,000, which is waived for customers opting for the 12-month plan. All plans come with a bundled data allowance of 1TB or 1000GB, which caters to the data needs of many users.
