Bharti Airtel Strike Multibillion Deal with Ericsson for 4G and 5G Growth

Bharti Airtel, India's second-largest telecom operator, has inked a multi-year, multi-billion-dollar arrangement with Swedish telecom equipment provider Ericsson to extend its 4G and 5G contracts, according to a press statement released on Wednesday.

"According to the new contract, Ericsson will implement centralised RAN and Open RAN-ready solutions for network transformation, providing clients with expanded coverage and increased network capacity. Ericsson will also upgrade the software of its currently installed 4G radios, improving the consumer experience," according to the exchange filing.

According to reports, Airtel has likely signed renewal agreements worth $1.2 billion with Ericsson, Nokia, and Samsung, as well as placed orders for new 4G and 5G equipment.

This initiative is consistent with Airtel's aim to strengthen its 4G and 5G infrastructure and upgrade feature phone users in important locations, despite tough competition from Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea. Vodafone Idea is extending its 4G services and planning a 5G deployment by March.

Randeep Sekhon, Bharti Airtel's Chief technologies Officer (CTO), stated, "The strategic cooperation with Ericsson to implement the latest technologies demonstrates Airtel's goal of network excellence. This rollout will allow us to improve our network's speed, reliability, and coverage, providing an unparalleled client experience."

Andres Vicente, head of Ericsson South-East Asia, Oceania, and India, stated, "This partnership extension reflects our shared vision to build a robust 4G and 5G infrastructure for Bharti Airtel to serve its customer base's connectivity needs, including new 5G use cases as they emerge." We will collaborate closely with Bharti Airtel to provide excellent user experiences for their customers.

India is a Crucial Growth Market

India continues to be an important growth base for telecom equipment providers as demand in the United States and Europe rises. Indian operators benefit from competitive pricing, with vendors selling equipment at 30-40% off worldwide rates.