Bharti Airtel, Ericsson Ink Multi-Year Managed Services Contract
Bharti Airtel and Ericsson have inked a multi-year Managed Services contract for Ericsson to run and oversee the telecom provider's network infrastructure throughout India.
4G, 5G NSA, 5G SA, Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), private networks, and network slicing technologies are all included under the deal.
In accordance with the deal, Ericsson will supply intent-based operations for Airtel's pan-India network through its centralized Network Operations Center (NOC).
“We are excited to enhance our strong collaboration with Ericsson as we pursue our goal of creating a future-ready network that delivers an exceptional experience for our customers,” says Randeep Sekhon, Chief Technology Officer, Bharti Airtel.
“We believe that these innovative technologies will empower us to meet the growing data demands of consumers in a digitally connected India”.
The agreement is expected to facilitate the nationwide rollout of network slicing and FWA.
Ericsson emphasized that Airtel will be able to satisfy changing customer demands and diversify its services with the support of its NOC methodology.
“This milestone agreement with Bharti Airtel reinforces our commitment to helping Airtel deliver the best possible experience for its customers,” says Andres Vicente, Head of Market Area Southeast Asia, Oceania and India, Ericsson.
“By leveraging Intent-Based NOC Operations, we will enable Airtel to unlock wider service diversification to meet customer needs, thereby enabling new revenue opportunities for Airtel”.
Over the course of more than 25 years, the companies' association has covered several mobile technology generations.
The announcement highlights Ericsson's position in Airtel's 5G rollout strategy and comes after a recent partnership on 5G Core technology.
With its main office in India, Bharti Airtel provides service to more than 550 million users in 15 South Asian and African nations.
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The company offers a variety of services, such as enterprise solutions, digital payments, entertainment, fiber connectivity, and mobile broadband. In terms of subscribers, it is in the top three worldwide mobile operators. Through Indus Towers, it also has stakes in passive infrastructure.