Airtel's 4G launched

Bharti Airtel has launched India’s first high-speed internet data service using 4G (fourth-generation) telecommunications technology. The cutting edge technology was launched by Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal in Calcutta on Tuesday.

Company chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said high-speed wireless broadband had “the potential to transform India”.

The 4G service is expected to be five times faster than 3G and will offer high-definition television streaming and video conferencing. Airtel said it was working on launching advanced technology networks in other parts of the country.

India is among the first countries in the world to deploy 4G technology. The technology will be available only on computers at the moment.

For consumers, 4G is mostly about Internet speeds. If you don’t care about the Web speeds on your phone or modem, then you probably don’t care about 4G.

Various aspects of 4G may also make it easier to install the Internet in a wider range of gadgets, such as digital cameras, gaming systems, and picture frames.

“The fastest wireless internet ever, offering break free fast speed (upto to 40mbps) on the move. Redefine everything you knew about the internet,” is how Airtel describes its 4G.

4G means the end of buffering, playing live multiplayer games, watching seamless streaming video, video chat with friends and family in high definition, according to Airtel.

The tariff currently starts at Rs 999 a month and the higher-end pack costs Rs 1999 a month.