India 50GB 30 days
AirTel
- Data
- 50GB
- Validity
- 30 days
- Hotspot
- Yes
- Technology
- 3G / 4G / 5G
- 5G ready
- Hotspot
- Top-up ready
Validity starts on first connection at the destination
- One network
from$61.90$58.80
Airtel and travel eSIM in India
Airtel is one of the networks your eSIM may use in India. Here is who actually decides which network you get, and what to do with that.
Author: Porsch Kunnipat Siramanakul · Co-founderReviewed by: Bob Kanokphon ThongdeePublished: October 12, 2026Last updated: October 12, 2026
Quick answer
- 70 of the 70 India plans we sell name Airtel as a reachable network, at 4G and 5G.
- Airtel runs LTE on B1, B3, B5, B40 and 5G on n1, n3, n40, n41, n78; your phone needs at least one of them.
- Travel plans connect by roaming, so no plan can promise one specific network.
Airtel in brief
Airtel India shut down its 3G (UMTS) network on 31 March 2020; its 404 network codes now list GSM and LTE on 850, 900, 1800 and 2100 MHz plus TD-LTE 2300.
We are not a reseller for this operator and we have not run our own field speed tests. The band and network details below come from the sources listed at the end of the page.
Airtel's bands and technology
| Item | Airtel |
|---|---|
| LTE (4G) | B1, B3, B5, B40 |
| 5G NR | n1, n3, n40, n41, n78 |
| 5G launched | 2022 |
| 3G | Shut down |
| Network code (MCC-MNC) | 404-02, 404-03, 404-10, 404-16, 404-31, 404-40, 404-45, 404-49, 404-70, 404-90, 404-92, 404-93, 404-94, 404-95, 404-96, 404-97, 404-98 |
Checked against the sources on 2026-10-12. Only the bands a source confirmed are listed; the network may run others too.
An eSIM can only use Airtel if your phone supports at least one band in this table. Before you fly, open your model's spec page on the maker's site and compare its LTE and 5G band lists.
Airtel's coverage map
Airtel publishes its own coverage map. Look up the street or district you will stay in rather than the country as a whole, because coverage in town and out of town differs a great deal. The map shows Airtel's own network; a roaming plan may not get every technology it shows.
Who licenses Airtel
Mobile networks in India are licensed, and their spectrum assigned, by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). The bands above are the ones it allocates. A problem with the local network's own service goes to the operator first; a problem with your eSIM plan comes to us.
The plans on our shelf that name Airtel
From the supplier record behind each package, 70 of the 70 plans we currently sell for India declare Airtel as a network the profile can reach, at 4G and 5G. The figure comes from the same catalogue that prices the plan pages, and it moves when the supplier revises the record.
A plan naming Airtel means the network sits in the list the profile may choose from. It does not mean your handset will stay on it. The priority order is the supplier's, and the signal where you stand decides.
Airtel beside the other networks in India
| Network | LTE bands | 5G bands |
|---|---|---|
| Airtel | B1, B3, B5, B40 | n1, n3, n40, n41, n78 |
| Jio | B3, B5, B40 | n28, n78, n258 |
A band shared across networks is one a single phone can use on all of them.
Why plans do not name a fixed network
Nearly every travel eSIM is a roaming product: the profile picks a network by an order the supplier sets, not by the buyer. If Airtel is weak where you are, try selecting Jio manually in the network settings, and keep data roaming on for the eSIM profile.
FAQ
Will my eSIM definitely connect to Airtel?+
70 of our plans name Airtel as reachable, but that is not a guarantee. Travel plans run over roaming agreements, so the network depends on the supplier behind the plan, your device and where you are.
Which bands does my phone need for Airtel?+
At least one of these, LTE: B1, B3, B5, B40; 5G: n1, n3, n40, n41, n78. Your phone's band list is on the maker's spec page for your model, under "Cellular" or "Network".
Does Airtel run 5G, and will my plan get it?+
Yes. Airtel has run commercial 5G since 2022, on n1, n3, n40, n41, n78. A travel plan only gets it when the plan permits 5G, your phone supports one of those bands, and you are inside 5G coverage. Miss any one and you fall back to 4G.
How do I see which network I am on?+
Check the carrier name at the top of the screen, or open the mobile-network settings and look at the operator list. If signal is poor, try selecting a network manually instead of automatic, but only one your plan actually supports.
Sources
- operator site — Airtel, October 11, 2026
- Airtel coverage map — Airtel, October 11, 2026
- List of LTE networks in Asia — Wikipedia, October 11, 2026
- List of 5G NR networks — Wikipedia, October 11, 2026
- 3G - decline and decommissions table — Wikipedia, October 12, 2026
- Mobile network codes in ITU region 4xx (Asia) — Wikipedia, October 12, 2026
- DoT spectrum management (search result) — DoT India, October 11, 2026
About the author
Porsch Kunnipat Siramanakul
- Co-founder of eSIMonline.asia
- Digital marketer
- Performance marketing and marketing planning
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