BSNL launches Bharat AirFibre for villages: Here’s all you need to know

YuppTV, a global leader in South-Asian OTT content, is working with BSNL(Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited) to facilitate the brand’s plan of offering triple-play services by launching Bharat AirFibre to help villages achieve internet connectivity. It is a little different from the existing BharatFibre service. This new service falls in line with BSNL’s bullish plans of providing connectivity to rural areas. They had started expanding fibre connectivity in villages with BharatNet which aims to connect 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats and have now followed up their efforts with Bharat AirFibre.

Bharat AirFibre is different from BharatFibre

Bharat AirFibre and BharatFibre seem to be almost similar but differ on the grounds that BharatFibre works on the FTTH service uses wired technology to provide broadband services while Bharat AirFibre works on completely wireless technology.

How AirFibre works?

According to the BSNL director, the new Air Fibre will work on the unsilenced spectrum which is unallocated to any operator. And, since this unallocated spectrum has very little interference, the quality is expected to be better for the subscribers and disturbance will be less for these airwaves.

“We have launched Bharat AirFibre on the airwaves in the free spectrum band primarily in rural areas where there is no interference” ,

BSNL Director Vivek Banzal said.

BSNL has also said that it will be using line-of-sight radio waves to deploy the Bharat AirFibre and provide call-centre services to the villages. The absence of WiFi routers and appliances like microwave ovens in villages makes them easier for the Bharat AirFibre services to work.

Bharat AirFibre plans, pricing

Apart from internet connectivity, the BSNL AirFibre will also enable calling and TV services, making it a Triple Play Service. BSNL has reportedly partnered with Yupp TV for television content. Compared to the FTTH-based BSNL BharatFibre plans that start from Rs 777 per month and go up to Rs 16,999 per month, the monthly plans for BSNL Bharat AirFibre will start at Rs 500 per month and go up to Rs 1,999 per month.

The equipment cost for installation for the subscribers would be around Rs 3,000. This broadband plan offers users up to 1,500GB data per month at a speed of 200Mbps.

Live on the BSNL website, the new plan takes on Reliance JioFiber’s Rs 2,499 broadband plan that offers 1.25TB data at a speed of 500Mbps speeds. However, Jio, as a part of its launch offer is also giving 250GB data to the users, who opt for Rs 2,499 plan, free for the first six months.

If you are a BSNL user, here are few things that you should know about its Rs 1,999 Bharat Fiber Broadband plan:

• The newly launched Rs 1,999 plan is available in select circles. BSNL has introduced the phone in Chennai and Telangana circles only.
• The Rs 1,999 Bharat Broadband plan offers 200Mbps data speed up to 1,500GB. After users have exhausted 1,500GB of data, the speed will be reduced to 2Mbps.
• Users also get unlimited voice calling to any network in India as a part of this plan.
• BSNL says that its Rs 1,999 Bharat Broadband plan will be available for a period of 90 days. The plan came into effect on January 8, 2020, and it will be available till April 6, 2020, following which users will have to switch to a different plan.
• BSNL offers Amazon Prime subscription as a part of its Bharat Broadband plans. However, it remains uncertain if the same facility is available with this plan as well.