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HIGHLIGHTS
* The Xstream AirFiber can connect with up to 64 devices at a time.
* Airtel is currently offering only a 100Mbps plan with the device.
* Customers will have to pay a Rs 2,500 refundable security deposit to procure the device.
* Airtel has launched the Airtel Xstream AirFiber, which is a fixed wireless access (FWA) offering powered by 5G Plus.
* The service is currently available for consumers in Delhi and Mumbai.
* The Airtel Xstream AirFiber service is available at Rs 799 per month.
Airtel on Monday announced the launch of Airtel Xstream AirFiber, a fixed wireless access (FWA) offering powered by 5G Plus.
The Airtel Xstream AirFiber is currently available for consumers in Delhi and Mumbai and looks similar to the Jio AirFiber that was announced back in 2022. Interestingly, Jio’s AirFiber device is yet to go on sale in the country.
After the premature app listing last month, Airtel has officially launched Xstream AirFiber as the first 5G Fixed-Wireless Access (FWA) service in India.
It has defeated Reliance Jio to take the crown. Even though Jio AirFiber was announced last year, it is yet to become available to the general public. Here is everything you need to know about Airtel’s FWA offering.
Airtel Xstream AirFiber Price in India
The Airtel Xstream AirFiber service is available at Rs 799 per month (18 percent GST extra), which offers up to 100Mbps speeds and unlimited internet.
The plan can be availed for a duration of six months with a one-time refundable security deposit of Rs 2,500.
How to setup Airtel Xstream AirFiber
- To set up your Xstream AirFiber, get the AirFiber device from the nearest Airtel Store.
- Then, find the perfect spot to place the Xstream AirFiber device through the app and set it up.
- Connect your device by scanning the QR code / selecting the Wi-Fi name on your device.
To avail of the service, customers in Delhi and Mumbai need to walk into any Airtel store and opt for Xstream AirFiber. The company says the AirFiber will be available in multiple cities and scale up nationally in a phased manner.
“All Xstream AirFiber devices will be manufactured in India under the “Make in India” programme,” says Airtel.
Airtel Xstream AirFiber Features
Airtel has kicked off the Xstream AirFiber release in the country with an official launch in Delhi and Mumbai. The FWA device has a tower-like design and offers plug-and-play functionality.
It is a WiFi 6 compatible device which means customers should expect high-speed connectivity. The device will help users get high-speed internet in fibre-dark areas and help boost last-mile connectivity in both urban and rural India.
FWA will allow users to access high-speed internet connection without using wires like optical cables and copper lines. A customer will simply need to install the FWA device i.e. Xstream AirFiber at his residence.
This connects to an antenna that will communicate with the nearest cell tower or base station. All other devices around the FWA device are able to connect and receive data wirelessly.
The Xstream AirFiber is capable of connecting with up to 64 devices simultaneously. These could be your smart TV, laptop, smartphone, tablet, or any other device that has WiFi support.
A customer will have to pay a Rs 2,500 security deposit (refundable) to purchase the 5G FWA device. The company said it will manufacture these devices under the Make in India programme.
Airtel is currently offering only a single 100Mbps plan with the device but more should be added in the near future.
This plan is priced at Rs 799 per month but will be available at a discounted price for the six-month plan at Rs 4,435.
It is not confirmed but seems like customers will not have the option to opt for the monthly plan just yet.
The Xstream AirFiber device is available for purchase via Airtel stores in Delhi and Mumbai. A customer will need to download the companion Xstream AirFiber app on their smartphone. The app will have all the instructions related to the setup process.
Once the setup is complete, a user can either scan the QR code on the device or enter WiFi details manually to connect to the internet.
As mentioned in the beginning, Reliance Jio also has its own 5G FWA device called Jio AirFiber under development. It has scheduled its 46th Annual General Meeting (AGM) for August 28.
The company is expected to share more details about the device at the event and may even launch it officially. It is rumoured to cost somewhere around Rs 6,000 once it is released.
Faqs
1) What are Airtel Xstream AirFiber details?
Ans) Airtel says that Wi-Fi at home has grown exponentially in the past 3-4 years and its fiber service has 34 million home connections in India. However, there are still millions who are unable to get fiber access.
Airtel Xstream AirFiber is the country’s first 5G wireless Wi-Fi solution that will offer internet to consumers in “fiber-dark areas”.
The company says that this will address the last-mile connectivity issue in both rural and urban India where access to infrastructure is a challenge.
Xstream AirFiber is a plug-and-play home internet device with in-built Wi-Fi 6 technology (which is 50 percent higher than Wi-Fi 5 routers), which will offer wide indoor coverage and can simultaneously connect up to 64 devices.
The Airtel AirFiber is claimed to offer better speed, coverage, device security, and much more.
The service offers quick and easy self-installation with the Xstream AirFiber app. Users can manage the connection through the same application.
2) Airtel XStream AirFiber FWA Launched in India: The Country’s First 5G FWA Service.Details?
Ans) Airtel, one of the country’s leading telecom providers, has brought a one-step solution to the areas where fiber access is almost difficult to setup by introducing the XStream AirFiber FWA in India, becoming the first company to offer 5G FWA(Fixed Wireless Access) service within the country.
The newly launched XStream AirFiber FWA from Airtel is a plug-and-play device that will be able to offer an internet speed of upto 100 Mbps.
The device supports Wi-Fi 6 technology and will be able to connect with 64 devices at the same time. At the moment, the XStream AirFiber FWA is only available in the cities of Delhi and Mumbai, however, Sunil Mittal, the founder and chairperson of Bharti Airtel, has confirmed that it will be made available throughout the country in the coming few months.
Now speaking about the cost, customers can get Airtel’s XStream AirFiber FWA and access its service by paying a refundable security deposit of Rs. 2,500 along with a monthly payment of Rs. 799. A 7.5% discount can also be availed by its customers on purchasing the half-yearly subscription. For users who purchase the half-yearly plan, all they will have to pay is Rs. 4,435 for six months, instead of Rs. 4,794.
Airtel has stated that over the past 3 or 4 years, the need for having a Wi-Fi connection at home has become a necessity and only 34 million families in India were only able to have a fast Wi-Fi connection at their homes due to fiber inaccessibility in particular regions or localities. Airtel’s Xstream AirFiber will be able to bridge this gap and offer everyone faster and smoother Wi-Fi connectivity without the need to draw fiber cables.
3) How is it different from Airtel Xstream Fibre?
Ans) As the company says, both AirFiber and Xstream Fiber aim at the same – delivering fast and reliable internet connectivity. However, the approach differs in terms of wireless and wired.
In simple words, Airtel Xstream Fiber is the company’s wired broadband connection that requires a lot of devices, wiring and availability in the region. Airtel AirFiber, on the other hand, aimed at offering a complete wireless solution to users.
4) ’Solves’ Fiber reachability problem as needs no wiring.Details?
Ans) According to Airtel, the AirFiber is aimed at Fiber-dark areas. AirFiber requires no wiring and digging, etc. All that subscribers need to do is get the device, set it up and start using. “It will address the last mile connectivity issue in both rural and urban India where access to fiber infrastructure is a challenge.”