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Bharti Airtel has awarded an over $120 million (Rs 816 crore) 2G/3G/4G network modernization and expansion contract to Ericsson for Delhi as India’s largest telco looks to offer faster data speeds and a better experience to retain and attract users in India’s most lucrative market and counter the threat from new entrant Reliance Jio Infocommn.
The latest contract follows Bharti Airtel’s recent acquisition of additional 10 MHz spectrum in the 2300 MHz band and 5 MHz spectrum in 2100 Mhz band for Rs 1430 crore and Rs 2770 crore, respectively. The new 4-year contract, being initiated in this quarter, will bring these new airwaves into use for the telco to offer enhanced coverage and capacity, thereby improving the network performance in Delhi.
With this, Swedish gear maker Ericsson has become the sole supplier for Airtel’s 2G /3G/4G mobile network in the circle. The contract includes modernization of all 2G sites and expansion of the 3G network. It is also adding a 4G TDD-LTE network using the 2300 Mhz band for enhanced coverage and capacity.
Besides, Ericsson will also help Airtel launch a 4G carrier aggregation by combining FDD - using the 1800 Mhz band - and TDD LTE technologies to offer faster speeds.
Abhay Savargaonkar, Chief Technology Officer at Bharti Airtel, told ET that together with Ericsson, the telco will build a future ready network, given the explosive growth of mobile data services.
“We won a very important project for Delhi’s flagship network…with this we are entering a new important program of modernization of networks across old technologies and frequencies,” Paolo Colella, Head of Region India, Ericsson, told ET.
“In the future, we are looking at potentially bringing carrier aggregation across three bands which will allow Airtel to offer very high speeds rates in Delhi,” he added.
India's leading telco by subscribers had late last month said that it was upgrading its 3G network to “dramatically improve performance and deliver 4G like speeds even on 3G” after procuring additional spectrum. It had then said that Delhi users could face some “teething issues” over the next few days.
Airtel currently has more than 6000 sites in the Delhi circle, which it will be expanding significantly. “Densification of sites is something that every operator is looking at depending upon how the traffic develops. The natural densification is part of this contract,” Colella said.
The contract covers equipment, software and a range of professional services, including project management, network optimization and seamless integration for 3G and 4G across Delhi circle.
Airtel recently awarded a big-ticket 4G deployment and expansion contract worth around $500 million to Finnish telecom gear vendor Nokia for deployment in three new circles -- Gujarat, Bihar, and UP East -- telecom circle, in addition to six circles -- Mumbai, MP, West Bengal, Odisha, Punjab and Kerala circles -- it already serves.
Ericsson had earlier this year had won a two-year 4G network deployment contract from Idea Cellular for Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, North East and Himachal Pradesh telecom circles. It is transforming the telco's existing mobile radio access and core network infrastructure across nine circles for 2G and five circles for 3G.
Airtel: bharti airtel prepares for data speed battle in delhi with ericsson network technologies, Telecom News, ET Telecom
The latest contract follows Bharti Airtel’s recent acquisition of additional 10 MHz spectrum in the 2300 MHz band and 5 MHz spectrum in 2100 Mhz band for Rs 1430 crore and Rs 2770 crore, respectively. The new 4-year contract, being initiated in this quarter, will bring these new airwaves into use for the telco to offer enhanced coverage and capacity, thereby improving the network performance in Delhi.
With this, Swedish gear maker Ericsson has become the sole supplier for Airtel’s 2G /3G/4G mobile network in the circle. The contract includes modernization of all 2G sites and expansion of the 3G network. It is also adding a 4G TDD-LTE network using the 2300 Mhz band for enhanced coverage and capacity.
Besides, Ericsson will also help Airtel launch a 4G carrier aggregation by combining FDD - using the 1800 Mhz band - and TDD LTE technologies to offer faster speeds.
Abhay Savargaonkar, Chief Technology Officer at Bharti Airtel, told ET that together with Ericsson, the telco will build a future ready network, given the explosive growth of mobile data services.
“We won a very important project for Delhi’s flagship network…with this we are entering a new important program of modernization of networks across old technologies and frequencies,” Paolo Colella, Head of Region India, Ericsson, told ET.
“In the future, we are looking at potentially bringing carrier aggregation across three bands which will allow Airtel to offer very high speeds rates in Delhi,” he added.
India's leading telco by subscribers had late last month said that it was upgrading its 3G network to “dramatically improve performance and deliver 4G like speeds even on 3G” after procuring additional spectrum. It had then said that Delhi users could face some “teething issues” over the next few days.
Airtel currently has more than 6000 sites in the Delhi circle, which it will be expanding significantly. “Densification of sites is something that every operator is looking at depending upon how the traffic develops. The natural densification is part of this contract,” Colella said.
The contract covers equipment, software and a range of professional services, including project management, network optimization and seamless integration for 3G and 4G across Delhi circle.
Airtel recently awarded a big-ticket 4G deployment and expansion contract worth around $500 million to Finnish telecom gear vendor Nokia for deployment in three new circles -- Gujarat, Bihar, and UP East -- telecom circle, in addition to six circles -- Mumbai, MP, West Bengal, Odisha, Punjab and Kerala circles -- it already serves.
Ericsson had earlier this year had won a two-year 4G network deployment contract from Idea Cellular for Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, North East and Himachal Pradesh telecom circles. It is transforming the telco's existing mobile radio access and core network infrastructure across nine circles for 2G and five circles for 3G.
Airtel: bharti airtel prepares for data speed battle in delhi with ericsson network technologies, Telecom News, ET Telecom
