Bharti Airtel has announced the deployment of the country’s first Massive Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) technology that is a key enabler for 5G networks. India joins a select group of countries in the world that have deployed this advanced technology. In the first round, the services would be deployed in Bengaluru and Kolkata, and will later extend to other circles. The deployment is part of Airtel’s ongoing network transformation program, Project Leap, in which it has invested Rs 60,000 crore.
It is estimated to increase carrier capacity by more than 5X, thereby making effective use of the current spectrum. Additionally, Airtel customers will enjoy 2-3 times faster data speeds on their existing 4G handsets without any upgrades or plan changes. Data speeds will now be seamless, offering enhanced user experience even indoors, in crowded places and in high-rises. “It would enable multiple users and multiple devices to work simultaneously without facing any congestion or experience issues especially at hotspot locations,” Airtel said in a statement.
Massive MIMO is essentially a pre-5G technology that readies a cellular network to meet the rising data demands. MIMO deployment uses multiple antennas that are located at both the source (transmitter), and destination (receiver). Those antennas are linked in order to minimize error and increase efficiency of a network. It creates 3D beams both on horizontal and vertical planes towards users located within its coverage area. Interestingly, massive MIMO uses green technology, thereby helping reduce carbon footprint. No other telecom operator in India has deployed this technology so far. 
This announcement comes shortly after Airtel tied up with Korea’s SK Telecom to build a high-tech, high-capacity 5G network. “India is fast striding towards exponential and unprecedented data growth.  Our latest deployment of Massive MIMO will help us serve this demand and would also give an impetus to build a future ready network. The deployment gives us a strategic advantage to provide faster speeds and enhanced user experience for our customers, thereby translating into improved spectrum efficiency,” Abhay Savargaonkar, Director – Networks, Bharti Airtel said.