Vi extends Ericsson pact for 5G, IT upgrade

Vodafone Idea (Vi) has expanded its partnership with Ericsson to modernise its postpaid systems and support ongoing network expansion in India.

Since 2024, Ericsson has deployed new 4G and 5G sites for Vi, added capacity to existing locations and installed High-Performance Small Cell (HPSC) towers across 10 telecom circles. Under the extended agreement, Ericsson will continue to support site deployment, network integration, capacity augmentation and coverage expansion. The work is intended to improve indoor coverage, increase data capacity and support Vi’s 4G and 5G rollout.

Cloud-Native Charging to Replace Legacy Systems

The partnership also builds on the migration of Vi’s prepaid subscribers to Ericsson’s charging platform in 2023. Vi has now selected Ericsson’s cloud-native charging system for its postpaid business. This will expand Ericsson’s role to cover online charging solutions for both prepaid and postpaid customers across India.

As part of the agreement, Vi will deploy Ericsson’s convergent charging system to replace legacy offline charging and rating functions with a real-time model covering voice, VoLTE, SMS and data services for both consumer and enterprise segments. The upgrade is expected to improve billing accuracy, operational efficiency and service flexibility, while preparing the network for future 5G Standalone deployment.

Vi will also implement selected Ericsson Telco IT AI applications, including tools for anomaly detection, order monitoring, capacity forecasting and usage analysis. These systems are intended to support operational oversight and improve service reliability.

The companies said the extended collaboration reflects their ongoing working relationship and aims to support Vi’s network and IT transformation as demand for data services continues to grow.