Ericsson has been awarded a multi-year, multi-billion-dollar extension deal by Bharti Airtel to deliver advanced 4G and 5G RAN products and solutions across Airtel’s India operations.
As part of the agreement, Ericsson will deploy centralized RAN and Open RAN-ready solutions to enhance network coverage and capacity while upgrading existing 4G radios to improve customer experiences.
Randeep Sekhon, CTO at Bharti Airtel, emphasized that the partnership aligns with Airtel’s pursuit of network excellence, while Andres Vicente, Head of Ericsson South-East Asia, Oceania, and India, highlighted the joint vision for robust 5G infrastructure to support emerging use cases.
Ericsson, a leader in 5G technology, powers 170 live networks worldwide and has been a trusted partner for Airtel for over 25 years. This deal underscores their shared commitment to advancing India’s digital ecosystem.
This announcement follows Airtel’s November 2024 extension deal with Nokia, where the company invested in deploying Nokia’s 5G AirScale portfolio, including energy-efficient Massive MIMO radios and ReefShark-powered baseband units. Nokia’s solutions are enhancing Airtel’s 5G capacity and coverage while modernizing its existing 4G network for seamless evolution to 5G.
Airtel’s strategic investments in partnerships with both Ericsson and Nokia demonstrate its commitment to leveraging cutting-edge advancements to enhance its network, enabling the adoption of next-generation technologies across India.