Nokia and Bharti Airtel on Tuesday announced a multi-year agreement to deploy Nokia’s Single RAN (SRAN) solution across 9 circles1 in India, helping Airtel to enhance the network capacity of its networks, in particular 4G, and improve customer experience.
The rollout, which will also lay the foundation for providing 5G connectivity in the future, will see approximately 300,000 radio units deployed across several spectrum bands, including 900 Mhz, 1800 Mhz, 2100 Mhz and 2300 Mhz, and is expected to be completed by 2022.
These Nokia supplied networks will give Airtel the best possible platform for when 5G networks launch across the country, with their low latency and faster speeds. Independent network performance testing company, RootMetrics3, recognized Nokia as market leader in LTE in terms of performance including network speed, network reliability and data performance.
Nokia’s SRAN solution helps operators to manage their 2G, 3G and 4G networks from one platform reducing network complexity, increasing cost efficiencies and future-proofing investment. Nokia will be the sole provider of SRAN in these 9 circles. 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. Nokia Global Services will also play a crucial role in the installation, planning and deployment of the project, which will be executed via the cloud-based Nokia Delivery Platform.
Gopal Vittal, MD and CEO (India and South Asia), Bharti Airtel
We are committed to continuously invest in emerging network technologies to provide a best-in-class experience to our customers. This initiative with Nokia is a major step in this direction.
Rajeev Suri, President and CEO, Nokia
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.
