Airtel conducts India’s first 5G trial in 700 MHZ band in partnership with Nokia

Telecom major Airtel has successfully conducted India’s first 5G trial in the 700 mhz band in partnership with Nokia. Airtel has been allotted test spectrum in multiple bands by the government’s department of Telecommunications for the validation of 5G technology and use cases. The demonstration, which was conducted on the outskirts of Kolkata, was also the first 5G trial in eastern India. Leveraging the enhanced propagation characteristics of the 700 mhz band, Airtel and Nokia were able to achieve high speed wireless broadband network coverage of 40 km between two 3GPP standard 5G sites in real

life conditions. Airtel used equipment from Nokia’s 5G portfolio, which included Nokia Airscale radios and standalone (SA) core. earlier this year, Airtel demonstrated India’s first 5G experience over a live 4G network. It also demonstrated India’s first rural 5G trial as well as the first cloud gaming experience on 5G.