Telecommunications services provider Bharti Airtel on Tuesday said that it has commissioned Nokia Networks to expand its 4G presence to six new (Mumbai, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab and West Bengal) circles. The company deployed Nokia Networks’ radio network.
The deal marks its frequency-division duplexing - long-term evolution (FDD-LTE) deployment on 1800 MHz that will witness the launch of faster mobile broadband in six circles, the company said.
“Having already launched the high-speed 4G services across four circles of India, we are now looking at extending this enriching high-speed broadband experience to new circles on 1800 MHz band. Our association with Nokia Networks will help us support our vision and provide a superior 4G network,” Abhay Savargaonkar, Chief Technical Officer, Bharti Airtel, said.
Nokia Networks, already a supplier of Bharti Airtel’s TD-LTE network, will also deploy TD-LTE on the 2300 MHz in two other circles (Mumbai and Kerala), it said.
“Our rich experience gained in deploying FDD-LTE and TD-LTE to operators around the globe will ensure a fast and smooth network rollout. On top of that, our Flexi Zone solution will ensure the best possible LTE performance even in dense areas,” Sandeep Girotra, Vice President and Head of India, Nokia Networks, said.
Flexi Zone access points combine low power LTE and Wi-Fi into self-configuring units to provide coverage and capacity underlay networks, both indoors and outdoors.