Becomes the first operator to enable connectivity, 35 meters below river Hooghly

Kolkata, February 26, 2024:Bharti Airtel, one of India's leading telecommunications service providers, today, announced its pioneering initiative to deliver uninterrupted connectivity to metro commuters by deploying high-capacity nodes 35 meters below river Hooghly. Airtel has invested in the infrastructure ahead of the actual commercial launch of service, which is expected soon. This makes Airtel the first operator to deliver seamless connectivity through the 4.8km stretch in Kolkata’s East – West Metro corridor connecting Howrah Maidan with the Esplanade.

To facilitate this transformative service, Airtel has connected the 4.8- km stretch between Howrah Maidan, Howrah Station, Mahakaran and Esplanade stations through fiber. High-capacity nodes at each of these stations have been deployed for seamless connectivity allowing commuters to enjoy blazing 5G speeds, uninterrupted voice calls and data transmission that enhance the daily commute experience and allow customers to stay connected and productive through their travel.

Ayan Sarkar, CEO – Bharti Airtel West Bengal and Odisha, said, “Airtel is committed to pushing boundaries to better serve its customers. This initiative to provide under-river tunnel connectivity will certainly make a difference to commuters where they will get to access to High-Definition video streaming, gaming, multiple chatting, instant uploading of photos and more, along with enjoying the scenic stretch below river Ganga".

India's first underwater metro is an engineering marvel connecting Howrah to Kolkata and will be thrown open to the public soon.

About Bharti Airtel Limited

Headquartered in India, Airtel is a global communications solutions provider with over 500 Mn customers in 17 countries across South Asia and Africa. The company ranks amongst the top three mobile operators globally and its networks cover over two billion people. Airtel is India’s largest integrated communications solutions provider and the second-largest mobile operator in Africa. Airtel’s retail portfolio includes high-speed 4G/5G mobile broadband and Airtel Xstream Fiber that promises speeds up to 1 Gbps with convergence across linear and on-demand entertainment, streaming services spanning music and video, digital payments and financial services. For enterprise customers, Airtel offers a gamut of solutions that includes secure connectivity, cloud and data center services, cyber security, IoT, Ad Tech and CPaaS (Airtel IQ). For more details visit www.airtel.com