Bharti Airtel on Monday announced the launch of its “Ultra-Fast 4G” services in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The development is on the heels of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating the Submarine Optical Fibre Cable Connectivity between Chennai and Andman and Nicobar Islands (CANI Project). The Submarine Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) connecting Chennai and Port Blair is said to deliver 2x 200 Gbps between the two cities. Further, the project is also said to deliver 2×100 Gbps between Port Blair and other islands. In a release on Friday, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said that the 4G mobile services on the Islands will see a “major improvement” following the inauguration of the CANI project. It has to be noted that Airtel in January, 2019 had said that it launched 4G services in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. However, the CANI project enables Airtel to deliver enhanced speeds to its 4G users on the Islands.
Bharti Airtel Enhances 4G Services in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Airtel on Monday said that it has become the “first mobile operator” to launch “Ultra-Fast 4G” services in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. “The new fiber link marks a major milestone in India’s digital transformation journey as this critical infrastructure reaches the strategic archipelago,” Sunil Bharti Mittal, chairman of Bharti Airtel, said in a release on Monday. “We are grateful to the Hon’ble Prime Minister for taking the time to launch this key digital infrastructure.” The company in the release said that the “blazing fast speeds” on Airtel’s 4G network will provide “world-class digital experience” to the users in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. “The fiber link will be a game changer for the region and unlock the true potential of 4G and even 5G in future for customers,” Mittal said. “Airtel remains fully committed to the Government’s vision of Digital India. We hope the Department of Telecom will accelerate the deployment of USOF for building such infrastructure backbone to complement the efforts of telecom operators to bridge the digital divide.”
Mobile Operators Revamp Mobile Services in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Airtel is said to have had a presence in Andaman and Nicobar since 2005 with the company highlighting that it was “first private operator to launch mobile services” in the region. “With today’s launch of ‘Ultra-Fast 4G’ network, Airtel looks forward to further strengthening its bond with customers on the islands,” the company said in a release on Monday. It has to be noted that Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has also announced a revamp of its mobile plans in Andman and Nicobar Islands. The state-run operator has said that the data benefits on certain plans are increased by up to eight times. However, as of press time on Monday, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea have not announced any revamp in mobile plans in Andaman and Nicobar.
