Ericsson to manage 70 percent of Airtel network in India

After the discontinuation of its partnership with Sony, the telecom equipment maker Ericsson joined hands with Airtel. According to a report in the Indian Express, the Swedish firm has bagged a five year deal to manage about 70 percent of Airtel’s network in India. The amount, however, has not yet been disclosed. 

Ericsson to manage Airtel network

Sanjay Kapoor, Head of Airtel’s Indian business, said, “This unique multi-technology managed services partnership with Ericsson will help us focus on creating a compelling service proposition for our customers, as we look to ramp up our market access for next generation services on 3G and 4G.” Reportedly, the extended contract will enable Ericsson to cover additional 15 service areas, including Airtel's networks in Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, UP, Rajasthan, Assam and the North East, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Chennai and Kerala.

Airtel, reportedly has been looking at upgrading its infrastructure, to better aid the “multi-fold growth” in the use of the internet, mobile applications and smartphones, and this deal is a step ahead in this direction.