Airtel Builds a Future Ready Network – Doubles Mobile Sites in Just Two Years

In one of the largest network rollouts globally deploys 180,000 mobile sites in the last two years, which is same as total sites deployed in the first 20 years of operations

Deployment to leverage its robust spectrum portfolio and create capacity to lead India’s data growth story

• Deployment is part of Project Leap – Airtel’s network transformation program with an investment commitment of Rs 60,000 crores
• Airtel now offers the widest network with 4G and 3G coverage in all 22 circles
• Airtel has been rated as the fastest mobile network in India by Ookla – the global leader in mobile speed tests

New Delhi, April 6, 2017: Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), India’s largest telecommunications services provider, today said that it doubled its mobile network deployment over the past two years in line with its objective of building a future ready network to lead India’s data growth story.

In the last two years (FY 16 and FY 17), Airtel has deployed 180,000 mobile sites across India. This is same as the number of mobile sites deployed by the company in the first 20 years of operations, making it one the largest mobile network rollouts globally.

In November 2015, Airtel launched Project Leap, its nationwide network transformation program to build a future ready network. The Company has committed an investment of Rs 60,000 crores over three years under this program.

Airtel has also doubled its overall transmission capacity and increased the mobile backhaul capacity by eight times to roll out high speed broadband network with 4G and 3G coverage in all 22 telecom circles. This deployment has been supported by addition of 14,500+ KM of fibre to Airtel’s national fibre backbone along with 3666 new fibre POP nodes (highest ever deployed in Airtel network in single year).

Abhay Savargaonkar, Director- Networks, Bharti Airtel said, “Airtel has been at the forefront of India’s telecom growth story and this record deployment underlines our commitment to building a world-class network of the future that will serve a digital India. This deployment will leverage our spectrum capacity and is yet another benchmark by Airtel in execution excellence. We are now in a position to ramp up future capacity on this network very quickly, giving us unmatched reach and agility. I want to thank our network partners for their support in this deployment.”

Airtel has been rated as the fastest mobile network in India by Ookla –the globally recognised leader in mobile speed tests and also a benchmark for reputed global operators. As per travel app RailYatri, Airtel has offers the widest mobile network coverage on the go.

About Bharti Airtel

Bharti Airtel Limited is a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 17 countries across Asia and Africa. Headquartered in New Delhi, India, the company ranks amongst the top 3 mobile service providers globally in terms of subscribers. In India, the company's product offerings include 2G, 3G and 4G wireless services, mobile commerce, fixed line services, high speed home broadband, DTH, enterprise services including national & international long distance services to carriers. In the rest of the geographies, it offers 2G, 3G and 4G wireless services and mobile commerce. Bharti Airtel had over 369 million customers across its operations at the end of February 2017. To know more please visit,www.airtel.in