Global
tech giant Nokia says it has secured a multi-year deal with leading telecom
operator Bharti Airtel to deploy a 5G radio access network (RAN) in India
following a recent 5G spectrum auctions and allocation of pan-India spectrum to
Bharti Airtel, supporting their ambition to take India to the 5G era.
As
part of the deal, Nokia is expected to provide equipment from its market-leading
AirScale portfolio, including modular and scalable baseband as well as
high-capacity 5G massive MIMO radios.
Commenting
on the deal, Nokia’s President and CEO, Pekka Lundmark, described the deal as a
landmark one that, according to him, will reinforce Nokia’s long-standing partnership
with Bharti Airtel.
“We
are delighted that they have chosen Nokia’s best-in-class AirScale baseband and
radio portfolio to deliver superior 5G performance in one of the world’s
largest networks. I look forward to our continued successful long-term collaboration
in this vital and dynamic market,” he said.
On
his part, the MD and CEO of Bharti Airtel, Gopal Vittal expressed satisfaction
with the continued partnership that has
existed between Nokia and Bharti Airtel over the years and reiterated that
Airtel has always believed that the real leverage of 5G technology will come
from the capacity to build an ecosystem across devices, networks, applications,
and services.
As
mobile penetration increases across India, mobile telecom services will have a
transformative impact across all sectors of the economy. Airtel is investing in
the right areas and working with the right partners to serve our customers even
better,” he stated.
