Bharti Airtel Ltd will be getting 4G and 5G equipment from Finnish telecom, IT, and electronics giant Nokia Corporation, announced both the companies in a joint statement on Wednesday, November 20, 2024.
The deal to to deploy the equipment across key Indian cities and states has been described as a ‘multi-year, multi-billion’ extension deal without its actual value disclosed yet.
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As per the contract, Nokia will deploy its 5G AirScale equipment including base stations, baseband units and the latest generation of Massive MIMO radios, all powered by its energy-efficient ReefShark System-on-Chip technology.
This will become the basic framework of Airtel’s 5G network services in the country. Apart from that, Airtel claims the multiband radios and baseband equipment will also modernize its existing 4G network.
This is also part of a Green 5G Initiative. A move to improve the energy efficiency of Airtel’s network and reducing carbon emissions, in line with the company’s emission reduction targets.
“Our industry-leading AirScale portfolio and AI-based services will enhance the energy efficiency of Airtel’s network, enabling premium 5G capacity and connectivity with the highest quality of service for subscribers,” said Pekka Lundmark, President and CEO of Nokia.
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Apart from this, Airtel will also be using Nokia’s MantaRay Network Management for network monitoring and management with AI-based tools for functions like digital deployment, optimization and technical support.
Nokia has collaborated with Airtel for over two decades, providing 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G network equipment.
“This strategic partnership with Nokia will future proof our network infrastructure and provide customers with unparalleled user experience along with a network that will be eco-friendly to minimize environmental impact,” said Gopal Vittal, Vice Chairman and MD of Bharti Airtel.
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