Gopal Vittal, the Managing Director of Bharti Airtel, India’s second-largest telecom company, has indicated that they may increase the costs of their 4G plans in the future.
Airtel is not in a rush to introduce 5G and currently won’t charge extra for it. Similarly, Jio also pledged not to hike 5G plan prices, ensuring customers retain affordable high-speed 5G internet.
According to ET Telecom, Gopal Vittal mentioned that Airtel has previously raised entry-level plan prices slightly without worrying about competition.
They may soon extend this approach to other plans, but the exact price increases are not yet disclosed. Airtel is likely to be the first to raise 4G plan prices in the country.
Airtel, like Jio, plans to shift to a standalone 5G network. While Jio has launched its 5G network using standalone technology, Airtel initially used non-standalone technology by connecting the 4G LTE Evolved Packet Core (EPC) to the 5G tower’s New Radio (NR).
However, Airtel’s Gopal Vittal stated that they would transition to standalone architecture based on need and benefits.
He emphasized Airtel’s commitment to staying ahead of the market and customer demands without unnecessary capital spending aimed at claiming the largest rollout like some other operators.
