Airtel, Nokia sign $1 billion deal to enhance network capacity

Bharti Airtel (Airtel) and Nokia on Tuesday announced a multi-year agreement to deploy Nokia’s SRAN solution across nine circles in India, helping Airtel to enhance the network capacity of its networks, in particular 4G, and improve customer experience.

According to sources from both the firms, the deal size is pegged to be around $1 billion (₹7,500 crore). The circles include Gujarat, Maharashtra, Mumbai, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh (East).

The rollout, which will also lay the foundation for providing 5G connectivity in the future, will see around three-lakh radio units deployed across several spectrum bands, including 900 Mhz, 1800 Mhz, 2100 Mhz and 2300 Mhz, and is expected to be completed by 2022, the companies said in a statement.