Powered by Airtel's Carrier Ethernet Network, the fastest wireline broadband - based on optic fibre-based DSL technology, and offering a speed of 16 Mega bits per second (Mbps) - has been launched in Delhi by Bharti Airtel! A similar launch for Chennai and Bangalore is also on the cards in the near future.

The 16 Mbps broadband will allow telecom users to experience two times more speed than the presently-available highest speeds for the retail sector in the country. The 16 Mbps speed will facilitate the download of a 4 GB high-definition movie within 30 minutes, as against the earlier almost 12 hours taken using a 256 Kbps connection.

Announcing the launch of the service - with 'Life at the speed of thought' as its key idea - K Srinivas, Joint President of Telemedia Services, Bharti Airtel said: "We are the leading private broadband service provider in the country and pioneered
8 Mbps broadband. It gives us great pleasure now to be able to introduce the fastest, wired broadband service on DSL."

The cost of the new servive, in addition to modem and installation charges of Rs 850, would be a monthly charge of Rs. 2,999 with up to 20 GB of download in New Delhi; and Rs. 4,999 for up to 50 GB of download in Gurgaon.