Nokia, a global technology leader, has revealed a strategic collaboration with Bharti Airtel aimed at deploying an advanced optical transport network. This partnership marks a significant leap towards enhancing capacity, reliability, and cost efficiency, ultimately elevating service quality for Airtel’s extensive customer base.
Under this agreement, Airtel, the second largest telecom operator in India, will use Nokia’s 1830 PSS-x OTN switches within its National Long-Distance Network, establishing crucial connections among major cities.
The burgeoning landscape of 5G networks and the escalating need for broadband connectivity in India have spurred demands for Communications Service Providers (CSPs) to bolster their infrastructure. This entails augmenting backhaul transport for denser 5G mobile networks, catering to wholesale connectivity for emerging segments like smart grids, data center interconnect (DCI), and various business services.
To tackle this surge in traffic demand, the evolution of transport networks becomes imperative. Nokia’s OTN solution, leveraging switching and harnessing additional spectrum such as L-band wavelengths in the fiber, offers the pivotal upgrade necessary. This enhancement in capacity equips Bharti Airtel to potentially deliver faster, more reliable broadband services while being poised for innovative use cases on the horizon.
The implementation of Nokia’s OTN solution empowers Bharti Airtel to seamlessly overhaul its legacy transport switching infrastructure across its expansive network footprint in India. This transformative step not only caters to the burgeoning traffic demands but also significantly enhances network performance and reliability.
“As a frontrunner in OTN technology, our solutions will enable Airtel to augment Bharti’s optical transport network, meeting the surging bandwidth demand driven by enterprise and hyperscaler segments. Additionally, it ensures adherence to stringent SLAs, meeting the evolving expectations of Airtel’s esteemed clientele,” Chandan Kumar, Head of Optical Network Business Centre for Nokia India, said.
This collaboration between Nokia and Airtel signifies a pivotal milestone in fortifying India’s digital infrastructure, poised to deliver enhanced connectivity, efficiency, and reliability to consumers and enterprises.
