In an attempt to strengthen its 4G network and build a strong and enhanced 5G network in the country, telecom operator Airtel recently announced that it has signed a $1bn multi-year deal with Nokia.
As part of the transaction, Nokia will deploy its 5G-ready solutions for Airtel across nine circles in the country. Nokia is currently Airtel’s largest 4G vendor.
It is being reported that the Finnish major will help Airtel lay the foundation for providing 5G connectivity in the future by deploying 300,000 radio units across several spectrum bands in those circles expected to be completed by 2022.
In an official statement, Gopal Vittal, MD and CEO (India & Southeast Asia) Bharti Airtel said, “We have been working with Nokia for more than a decade now and are delighted to use Nokia’s SRAN products in further improving the capacity and coverage of our network as we prepare for the 5G era.”
“We have worked closely with Bharti Airtel for many years and are delighted to extend this long-standing partnership further. This project will enhance their current networks and deliver best-in-class connectivity to Airtel customers but also lay the foundations for 5G services in the future,” said Rajeev Suri, President, and Chief Executive Officer at Nokia.
According to industry body GSMA, India currently is the second-largest telecom market in the world and is expected to reach 920 million unique mobile customers by 2025, which will also include 88 million 5G connections.
The country is experiencing a massive increase in demand for data services with traffic increasing by 47percent in 2019 alone, according to Nokia’s MBiT Index 2020.
Nokia’s SRAN solution will help Airtel to address this growing demand by adding network capacity and ensuring a superior quality of experience to its customers.
The deal will also include Nokia’s RAN equipment, including its AirScale Radio Access, AirScale BaseBand, and NetAct OSS solution, which will help Airtel to monitor and manage its network effectively.
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