Ericsson and Bharti Airtel collaborate to make India's switch to 5G standalone

In order to implement Ericsson's 5G Core network technologies in India, Bharti Airtel and Ericsson have extended their established relationship. According to a February 25 announcement from Bharti Airtel, this action will hasten the company's transition to a full-scale 5G Standalone (SA) network, improving connectivity for millions of consumers and businesses.

Airtel will be able to increase network capacity, facilitate network slicing, and create new revenue streams by exposing its APIs with Ericsson's dual-mode 5G Core. In order to support Airtel's 5G monetisation goal, Ericsson will also implement its Signalling Controller and 5G SA-enabled Charging and Policy solutions as part of the arrangement.

In a joint statement, the two firms stated, "Ericsson is a longstanding Bharti Airtel connectivity partner with a close relationship spanning more than 25 years and covering every generation of mobile communications, including the award of Bharti Airtel's first 5G contract in India."

The chief technology officer of Bharti Airtel stated,"This rollout will play a pivotal role in Airtel's long-term 5G strategy, boosting network capacity and enabling the delivery of innovative, differentiated services to customers." 

"This deployment is a significant step towards making Bharti Airtel's network 5G Standalone ready and future proof," said Ericsson, Head of Market Area Southeast Asia,Oceania, and India. Ericsson's dual-mode 5G core opens up new, creative use cases for businesses and consumers by enabling monetisation through network slicing-based services and network API exposing.