Ribbon Communications on Wednesday said that it expects more business from Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea due to 5G and the shift away from Huawei products. In August, 2020, Ribbon Communications, a company engaged in the communications software and optical networking solutions said that Airtel had selected its Neptune platform to “enhance its mobile backhaul transport capabilities.” Bruce McClelland, CEO of Ribbon Communications in the fourth quarter earnings call on Wednesday said that the company is “benefiting” from its Airtel contract with the operator placing “multiple purchase orders” in the quarter.
Ribbon Communications Expects More Orders from Airtel for 5G
In August, the company in a release said that its Neptune platform offers a “powerful, efficient multi-layer next-generation network solution for a seamless evolution to future 5G services.” Further, it was said that Airtel picked the Neptune platform as part of its strategy to make its network ready for a “seamless transition to emerging technologies such as 5G.”
“We are benefiting from our Bharti Airtel contract signed last summer, with multiple purchase orders in the quarter and more expected as they prepare their network for 5G,” McClelland said in the earnings call on Wednesday. “This is our multiyear contracts and will help propel our growth in 2021 and beyond.”
Airtel, the second largest telecom operator in India in late January said that its network is 5G ready as it “successfully” demonstrated and orchestrated live 5G service over a commercial network in Hyderabad. However, the operator highlighted that the 5G experience will be offered to its users only “when adequate spectrum is available and government approvals” are received.
Vodafone Idea Utilized Neptune Platform for 4G Rollouts Across India
Meanwhile, McClelland said that Vodafone Idea initially utilized its Neptune platform for its 4G rollouts across India as the operator shifts away from Huawei products.
“And we expect more business as part of this transition,” McClelland said.
The CEO of Ribbon Communications also said that the overall sales of the company in India in its fourth quarter were “very consistent with the previous quarter.” McClelland said that the company recorded “improvements in several accounts” with Ribbon Communications also “hopeful that momentum will pick up for the second half of 2021.” Further, McClelland said that the company is hoping to see the spending of the wireless operators similar to those of the 2019 levels post April 1, 2021.
“Overall, at the end of the year, kind of year to date, at the end of 2020, I think our business in India was down something like 44% versus 2019,” McClelland said. “So, there's plenty of room for recovery, even getting partially back to where we were in 2019 and that is certainly part of the expectation as we grow this year. That's certainly part of the story.”
