To Activate 3G in AIRTEL and it's 3G schemes.

3G technology is the latest in mobile communications. 3G stands for "third generation" -- this makes analog cellular technology generation one and digital/PCS generation two. 3G technology is intended for the true multimedia cell phone -- typically called smartphones -- and features increased bandwidth and transfer rates to accommodate Web-based applications and phone-based audio and video files.

3G networks have potential transfer speeds of up to 3 Mbps (about 15 seconds to download a 3-minute MP3 song). For comparison, the fastest 2G phones can achieve up to 144Kbps (about 8 minutes to download a 3-minute song). 3G's high data rates are ideal for downloading information from the Internet and sending and receiving large, multimedia files. 3G phones are like mini-laptops and can accommodate broadband applications like video conferencing, receiving streaming video from the Web, sending and receiving faxes and instantly downloading e-mail messages with attachments.

Of course, none of this would be possible without those soaring towers that carry cell-phone signals from phone to phone.3G is a cell phone network protocol.

To activate 3G on your existing Airtel connection steps are below:

1) Check if your city has 3G available

2) Call 12134 to activate 3G or

SM 3G to 121

You will get a response saying reply with “1″ to activate 3G. Send 1 to 121. You will receive 3G profile via SMS within 4 hours. Save that and use it for the Internet applications as you do for 2G.

Make sure your mobile Network setting is set for Dual Mode( 2g/3g UMTS) not just GSM mode.

Airtel has launched it 3g Services on 27th Jan 2011. This page will track the available cities and circles that has 3G services enabled by Airtel.

Currently the Airtel 3g Services are available in the following locations:

1. Karnataka : Belgaum Bengaluru Bijapur Davangere Dharwad Gulbarga Hubli Manipal Mangalore Mysore Shimoga Tumkur Udupi
2. TamilNadu: Coimbatore Dindigul Erode Hosur Karur Madurai Nagerkoil Namakkal Puducherry Salem Ooty Tanjore Trichy Tirupur Tirunelveli Tuticorin Vellore
3. Rajastan: Ajmer Bikaner Jaipur Jodhpur Kota Udaipur
4. Delhi
5. Maharashtra: Mumbai
6. Andra Pradesh: Hyderabad Karimnagar Kakinada Rajahmundry Vizag Vijaywada Guntur Warangal
7. West Bengal: Durgapur
8. West UP: Agra Aligarh Dehradun Haridwar Meerut Mussoorie Selaqui
9. Himachal Pradesh: Shimla
10. Bihar: Patna, Ranchi, Bokaro
11. Jammu & Kashmir: SriNagar
12. North East: Shillong Guwahathi

 Airtel 3G Tariff Plan. Minimum cost to get 3G

Airtel 3G has announced the Prepaid and postpaid tariff plans.

Update(11 June 2011): Latest plan available as on this date:

1- Rs 0,20KB@30Ps
2- Rs 0,250MB Free, 2Months,20KB@30PS,Nokia X3 3G offer
3- Rs 0,2GB Free, 2Months,20KB@30PS,Nokia N8 3G offer
4- Rs 1099,5GB Free,After 32.66GB 100% Free,100KB@1Ps
5- Rs 20,20KB@15Ps
6- Rs 200,250MB Free,20KB@30Ps
7- Rs 450,600MB Free,20KB@30Ps
8- Rs 675,1.25GB Fr,After 7.568GB 100% Free,100KB@2Ps
9- Rs 675,3375(Adv 6M),1.25GB Fr,After 7.568GB 100%Fr,100KB@2Ps
10- Rs 699,2GB Free,After 3.43GB 100% Free,100KB@2Ps
11- Rs 750,2GB Free,20KB@30Ps
12- Rs 750,3750(Adv 6M),2GB Free,30KB@6Ps
13- Rs 899,3.5GB Free,After 23.5367GB 100% Free,100KB@1Ps
Video Call- 5p per sec on Local, STD & Roaming in all plans If you wish to activate this plan, please reply with the number of your plan above to confirm.

Minimum entry cost for prepaid is Rs8/- with 10MB valid for 1 day.

For postpaid the minimum entry cost for 3G is Rs100/-  valid for 30 days.

After the given limit you will be charged 30paise/20K. ie If you use 100MB after the limit, you will get additional rs1500/- bill. This makes the 3G a costly service!

Video calling at 5p/sec throughout India.(Roaming/STD inclusive)