The 5G core deployment will support Airtel in gradually transitioning to a commercially operational, full-scale 5G SA network
Indian carrier Bharti Airtel and Ericsson have expanded their partnership with a new deal to deploy the latter’s 5G Core network solutions.
In a release, the Swedish vendor noted that this collaboration aims to enhance connectivity for millions of Airtel customers and businesses across India. The initiative will also support Airtel in gradually transitioning to a commercially operational, full-scale 5G Standalone (5G SA) network, the vendor added.
Randeep Sekhon, CTO of Bharti Airtel, said: “Ericsson’s enduring partnership with Airtel has entered an exciting new phase, marked by the deployment of Ericsson’s 5G Core solutions to support Airtel’s transition to 5G Standalone. This rollout will play a pivotal role in Airtel’s long-term 5G strategy, boosting network capacity and enabling the delivery of innovative, differentiated services to customers.”
Andres Vicente, head of Market Area Southeast Asia, Oceania and India at Ericsson, said: “Ericsson’s dual-mode 5G core enables monetization through network slicing-based services and network API exposure, unleashing new, innovative use cases for consumers and enterprises.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Ericsson will integrate its signaling controller solution into Bharti Airtel’s network. Additionally, Ericsson’s 5G Standalone-enabled charging and policy solution will be implemented, enhancing Bharti Airtel’s 5G monetization strategy and paving the way for new business models.
Airtel is currently using equipment from Ericsson, Nokia and Samsung to provide 5G services.
In November 2024, Nokia had secured a multi-year extension deal from Bharti Airtel to deploy 4G and 5G equipment across key Indian cities and states. Under the terms of this previous deal, Nokia will deploy equipment from its 5G AirScale portfolio including base stations, baseband units and the latest generation of Massive MIMO radios, all powered by its ReefShark System-on-Chip technology.
Bharti Airtel ended last year with a 5G subscriber base of 120 million as it continued expanding its network coverage. During a recent earnings call, Bharti Airtel’s vice chairman and managing director, Gopal Vittal confirmed that Airtel has ceased investing in 4G capacity and is now fully focused on expanding its 5G network.
The second-largest telecom provider in India attributed the rise in 5G users to the growing number of 5G smartphone shipments, which now make up over 80% of total smartphone sales.
In the Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) segment, which delivers broadband services via Airtel’s 5G network, the company expanded its reach during recent months and is now operational in over 2,000 Indian cities.
Bharti Airtel previously confirmed that it has started re-farming its existing mid-band spectrum with the main aim of accommodating the growing traffic demand on its 5G network. To accommodate the growing number of customers migrating to its 5G network, the Indian telco said it is in the process of re-farming its mid-band spectrum to expand 5G services on its 1.8 GHz, 2.1 GHz and 2.3 GHz bands across the country.
