Bharti Airtel has awarded a multi-year, multi-billion-dollar extension deal to Ericsson to enhance its 4G and 5G networks. As part of the agreement, Ericsson will deploy centralised RAN and Open RAN-ready solutions, transforming Airtel's network to enhance coverage and capacity. The deal also includes software upgrades for Airtel's existing 4G radios to improve customer experience, the company said in a joint statement on Wednesday.
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Airtel's Network Transformation
Airtel will deploy Ericsson's 4G and 5G RAN products and solutions to improve its network experience. This follows Airtel's earlier partnership with Nokia, where the operator awarded a contract to upgrade its networks toward 5G-Advanced Network evolution, making the network future-ready to serve the growing data needs.
The CTO of Bharti Airtel, said, "The strategic partnership with Ericsson to deploy the latest technology is a testament to Airtel's pursuit of network excellence. This deployment will enable us to further improve the speed, reliability, and coverage of our network, ensuring an exceptional experience for our customers."
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"This partnership extension reflects our shared vision to build a robust 4G and 5G infrastructure for Bharti Airtel to serve the connectivity needs of its customer base – including the new 5G use cases as they emerge. We will work closely with Bharti Airtel to deliver great user experiences for their customers," added the Head of Ericsson South-east Asia, Oceania and India.
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Collaboration for Green 5G Initiative
Additionally, Airtel recently partnered with Nokia for a Green 5G initiative, aiming to reduce carbon emissions and enhance energy efficiency in its network infrastructure. Considering all the recent developments, Airtel is in aggressive expansion mode in India, serving over 263.6 million mobile smartphone customers (4G/5G). Airtel is the leader in the postpaid segment with a total of 53.11 million connections, including M2M, as of Q2FY25.
