Nokia using small cells to increase capacity in dense areas
Network infrastructure giant Nokia Networks has partnered with carrier Bharti Airtel to expand FDD-LTE 4G mobile broadband in six new markets in India.
The 4G deployment will operate on the 1,800 MHz band. In dense areas, coverage and capacity will be supplemented by Nokia Flexi Zone LTE small cells.
Nokia Networks, already a supplier of Bharti Airtel’s TD-LTE network, will also deploy TD-LTE on the 2300 MHz in two other circles.
The deal also considers Nokia Networks providing Bharti Airtel with professional services including network planning and optimization, systems integration and hardware maintenance, and cloud-based network management.
Sandeep Girotra, VP and head of the India region for Nokia Networks, said the Flexi Zone LTE small cells “will ensure the best possible LTE performance even in dense areas.”
“We are happy to expand our TD-LTE footprint with Bharti and partner with them to deploy India’s first FDD-LTE in six new circles. Our rich experience gained in deploying FDD-LTE and TD-LTE to operators around the globe will ensure a fast and smooth network rollout.”
Bharti CTO Abhay Savargaonkar said, “With our commitment to build an efficient Internet ecosystem in India, we continue to introduce new technologies and strengthen our existing capabilities.”
“Having already launched the high-speed 4G services across four circles of India, we are now looking at extending this enriching high-speed broadband experience to new circles on 1800 MHz band,” Savargaonkar said. “Our association with Nokia Networks will help us support our vision and provide a superior 4G network.”
Time-division-LTE uses a single frequency to alternatively upload and download data. Frequency-division duplex-LTE uses paired frequencies to upload and download. The two LTE standards also operate on different spectrum bands.
Nokia Networks provides services to 162 LTE and TD-LTE customers around the world.
