Airtel dials in Ericsson to expand 3G network

NEW DELHI: Country's top telecom operator Bharti Airtel has selected Ericsson to expand its 3G network in India.

Under the four-year deal, Bharti will expand 3G WCDMA network across eight telecom circles in India, which includes rollout of 3G services in UMTS 900MHz band in three circles.

The new agreement includes rollout of 3G services in both UMTS 2100 MHZ and UMTS 900MHz band (in three circles). As part of the contract, Ericsson will supply, install and perform manage services for WCDMA Radio Access Networks (RAN).

Ericsson will provide its multi-standard radio equipment from the Ericsson RBS 6000 base station family for macro and small cells. This will enable energy-efficient and cost-effective operations while allowing the operator to meet growing demands of better and faster mobile internet connectivity for the end-users.

Abhay Savargaonkar, CTO, Bharti Airtel, said: “With the growing number of smartphones, our customers are increasingly demanding ubiquitous network performance and superior user experience. This investment in 3G network is in line with Airtel’s constant focus on building a world-class, next-generation smartphone network for its customers. Refarming of 900MHz spectrum in 3 circles to 3G is aimed at providing additional capacity and better indoor coverage. By partnering with Ericsson, we look forward to leveraging Ericsson’s experience to address the growing demands of our 3G subscribers, providing them with high-quality data experience at all times”.

Paolo Colella, Head of Region India, Ericsson says: “Consumers in India are rapidly embracing smartphones and mobile internet as a source of information and entertainment. By expanding Bharti Airtel’s 3G WCDMA network, we will help them address the growing demand for superior data services in India.”

As per the India appendix of the Ericsson Mobility Report released in June 2015, WCDMA/HSPA subscriptions are expected to increase from over 120 million in 2014 to around 620 million by 2020, as the proportion of WCDMA /HSPA subscriptions in the total subscription base increases from 13 per cent to 45 per cent .

The total number of mobile subscriptions in India is expected to increase to approximately 1.4 Billion by 2020, resulting in a population penetration of 100 per cent.

Meanwhile, the company has also choose Ericsson for rolling out 4G network roll out in Delhi.