Bharti Airtel, the country’s largest mobile operators by revenue and subscribers, has launched a 3G Wi-Fi dongle that enables downloads of up to 21.6 mbps.
The download speed, which is more than double of the present 9.8 mbps, is now the fastest dongle available in the country. However, on the data front there are smartphones available in the sector that can access up to 21.6 mbps.
“We are betting big on data, as data is obviously exploding. There is an increasing demand for data in the country, and we are looking at catering to this space. We believe that speed is the value…,” said Ashok Ganapathy, Hub Chief Executive Officer (Mumbai, Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat) at Bharti Airtel. The company has launched the dongle in two circles – Mumbai and Andhra Pradesh – while it would be launched across the country over the next few weeks in a phased manner, Ganapathy added. The device can be used to connect up to five devices (mobiles, tablets or laptops) simultaneously.
Bharti Airtel is targeting entry-level, youth and high-end post-paid users in these circles with this new device. The hardware, a Huawei device cost about ₹2,100 and is being launched for both pre- and post-paid customers.