Bharti Airtel and Ericsson have announced a new collaboration focused on the deployment of Ericsson’s 5G Core network solutions within Airtel’s infrastructure in India. This partnership aims to facilitate Airtel’s transition to a full-scale 5G Standalone (SA) network.
The agreement involves the integration of Ericsson’s 5G Core offerings, which are designed to enhance network security and performance. This deployment intends to enable Airtel to deliver advanced 5G capabilities to its customer base, encompassing both individual users and enterprise clients.
Specifically, Ericsson will deploy its Signaling Controller solution within Airtel’s existing network architecture. This solution is intended to optimize network signaling and management.
Additionally, Ericsson’s 5G SA-enabled Charging and Policy solution will be implemented. This technology is designed to support the development of new service offerings and business models, potentially enhancing Airtel’s 5G monetization strategies.
The collaboration is structured to support Airtel’s gradual transition to a commercially operational 5G SA network. This transition is expected to enable the delivery of high-end 5G functionalities to Airtel’s subscribers. The deployment of Ericsson’s technology is intended to provide the necessary infrastructure to support this evolution.
Last year, Ericsson and Bharti Airtel expanded their partnership with a new multi-year, multi-billion dollar agreement.
Commenting on this, Randeep Sekhon, CTO, 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, Ericsson, said:
As a global 5G leader, Ericsson is committed to providing Bharti Airtel its latest technology solutions. This deployment is a significant step towards making Bharti Airtel’s network 5G Standalone ready and future proof. 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.