Bharti Airtel signed a long-term strategic partnership with Swedish telecom giant Ericsson. This deal covers multiple services like 4G, 5G Non-Standalone (NSA), 5G Standalone (SA), Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), Private Networks, and Network Slicing.

Ericsson to Manage Airtel’s Network Nationwide

Under this agreement, Ericsson will operate Airtel’s pan-India network using its advanced Network Operations Centre (NOC). It will also help scale up FWA and Network Slicing services across the country.

Airtel’s CTO Highlights the Partnership’s Importance

Randeep Sekhon, Chief Technology Officer at Bharti Airtel, said, “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."

He added, “We believe that these innovative technologies will empower us to meet the growing data demands of consumers in a digitally connected India.”

Ericsson Promises Value Through Technology

Andres Vicente, Head of Market Area for Southeast Asia, Oceania, and India at Ericsson, called the agreement a milestone. He said, “This milestone agreement with Bharti Airtel reinforces our commitment to helping Airtel deliver the best possible experience for its customers."

He further explained, “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.”

A Trusted 25-Year Partnership

The two companies have worked together for more than 25 years, covering various generations of mobile technology. This deal builds on their recent 5G Core collaboration to further develop 5G services in India.

Airtel’s Global Footprint

Airtel serves over 550 million users in 15 countries across India and Africa. It also operates in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka through associate companies.

Recent Tie-Up with Google for Cloud Storage

Last month, Airtel also announced a partnership with Google to offer Google One cloud storage to its customers. As part of the deal, all Airtel postpaid and Wi-Fi users will get 100 GB of free cloud storage for six months. They can also share this storage with up to five other people.