Nokia Networks in $200-mn deal with Bharti Airtel

New Delhi: In what could be the country’s first 4G network in the 1800 MHz band, Nokia Networks has secured a $200-million (Rs 1,240-crore) contract from the country’s top operator Bharti Airtel to create such network, media reports said.

The deal will cover Mumbai, MP, West Bengal, Odisha, Punjab and Kerala circles.

Nokia Networks is currently managing Airtel's TDD-LTE network in Maharashtra and will deploy its TDD-LTE network in Mumbai and Kerala.

Airtel's 4G network in the 1800 MHz band will use the FDD-LTE technology that is older and more widely accepted globally than TDD-LTE.

It should be noted that Reliance Jio is the only operator to possess airwaves in the 2300 MHz in all telecom circles in the country and is about to launch its services this year.

Airtel holds 20 MHz of 4G spectrum in the 2300 MHz band in each of the eight circles of Delhi, Mumbai, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab and Maharashtra.

4G, or fourth generation mobile communication technology, provides the fastest wireless internet connectivity in the country.