Home Internet Untethered: India’s Top Two Mobile Service Providers Leverage 5G To Offer Wireless Broadband Connections

In successive months, India’s two major mobile service providers – Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio -- have leveraged their nationwide 5G networks to target the cable-based broadband data and Internet services market.

The two employ what is known as Fixed Wireless Access (FWA): providing high-speed internet access to fixed locations or buildings, using wireless technology instead of traditional cable-based connections like fibre optic or, previously, copper lines.

An antenna is affixed to the outer wall of the customer's premises, receiving the broadband data signal, usually 5G, wirelessly from a nearby cell tower of the service provider. This signal is then transmitted to a router inside the customer's location, functioning much like the routers provided by cable Internet service providers today. It creates a WiFi hotspot within the premises, shareable by PCs, laptops, mobile phones, televisions, or smart speaker systems.

Airtel launched its Xstream AirFiber, Fixed Wireless Access, on August 7, offering 5G to consumers in Delhi and Mumbai. Jio rolled out its JioAirFiber services in eight cities on September 19 – Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Pune.

Airtel offers a single plan – Rs 799 per month for a 100 MBPS connection (or Rs 4435 for six months) with a refundable security deposit of Rs 2500. It promises the latest WiFi 6 speeds at the customer's hotspot.

Jio has announced multiple plans, starting with Rs 599 per month for a 30 MBPS connection, Rs 899 for a 100 MBPS connection, Rs 1499 for a 300 MBPS connection, up to Rs 3999 for a 1000 MBPS (1 GBPS) connection. There is an installation charge of Rs 1000, which is waived if the customer pays for one year.

Bundling TV with broadband

The difference is that while Airtel at present offers just the basic broadband connection, Jio bundles over 550 leading television channels and (depending on the monthly plan) up to 16 Over The Top or OTT channels, as well as services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Jio Cinema Premium, into the monthly fee.

However, it is early days yet, and both providers, especially Airtel, can be expected to refine their offerings.

It must be noted that Jio and Airtel have launched their AirFiber services in metro cities where, in all likelihood, a choice of cable-based broadband services is already available, with many of them bundling TV and OTT channels, as JioAirFiber does.

In terms of MBPS for MBPS, cable-based broadband Internet is still more cost-effective than the new 5G-based wireless options. AirFiber costs more because the additional expense of the antenna required for every installation must be taken into account.

The real advantage of Fixed Wireless Access using 5G is that it can provide Internet to areas – remote or rural -- where it is not feasible or viable to run fibre optic cables. In such scenarios, a wireless AirFiber-type service would be a game-changer for millions who currently cannot set up a home hotspot or use a smart TV.

That is the true disruption that 5G-based FWA can cause.

Pradeepthi Kantipudi, Telecom Analyst at data and analytics company GlobalData, comments: “JioAirFiber and Airtel Xstream AirFiber are revolutionizing India's broadband connectivity for both homes and businesses through 5G FWA. This advancement has the potential to generate new revenue streams for the Indian telecom industry, offering faster and more reliable internet access to residential and enterprise sectors.”

At present, both service providers appear to be testing the waters and gauging the market for AirFiber-type wireless broadband in urban locations.