Airtel to have nationwide TDD-LTE spectrum: Gartner

NEW DELHI: Airtel’s acquisition of Tikona’s 4G spectrum fills the gap that it had in the TDD-LTE band mainly in Uttar Pradesh East, Uttar Pradesh West and Rajasthan circles," according to Gartner.

With this acquisition Airtel will have nationwide TDD-LTE spectrum.

"Combined with FDD-LTE this additional spectrum holding will help Airtel to be future ready for the surging data demands on 4G. In addition, this will also help Airtel to improve the quality of service with additional spectrum," said Rishi Tejpal, Principal Research Analyst, Gartner.

"After the Vodafone-Idea deal, this is another step towards consolidation in the Indian telecom sector. Overall things are heading in the right direction for a healthy competition," he added.

"The Indian telecom sector is under pressure and the future expansion and growth will depend on the quantum of spectrum held and the quality of services offered. Such acquisitions help operators to address the above highlighted issues," he said.