Telecom gear maker Nokia on Monday said it has bagged a multi-million-dollar 4G network technology deal from Bharti Airtel to deploy services in nine circles.
According to industry sources, the deal is expected to be worth around $250 million.
The agreement with Nokia will see Bharti Airtel expand the deployment of 4G technology in three new circles in addition to the six it already serves, enabling launch of new services, Bharti Airtel said in a statement.
The company said it would be able to provide improved coverage and faster mobile internet access, while laying the foundation for delivery of enhanced video services and other on-demand applications.
“With this latest agreement we have become the largest supplier of 4G for the company. This network expansion will provide the capacity, coverage and speeds the company needs to meet the next wave of data demand in India,” Sanjay Malik, head of India Market at Nokia, said.
As per the agreement, Nokia will deploy its 4G technology across nine of Airtel's circles in India, including Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rest of Bengal, Odisha, Mumbai, Maharashtra, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh (East), serving major cities such as Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Patna and Siliguri.
It will also expand the operator’s 3G network in eight of the territories as part of this rollout and modernisation of legacy 2G BTS.
The rollout uses Nokia’s radio access with single-radio access network technology for FDD-LTE and TD-LTE and Nokia will provide professional services, including network integration and network planning and optimisation, the company added.