Mumbai: Bharti Airtel, India’s second-largest telecom operator, has entered a multi-year, multi-billion-dollar agreement with Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson to extend its 4G and 5G contracts, according to a press statement issued on Wednesday.

"As per the new contract, Ericsson will deploy centralised RAN and Open RAN-ready solutions for network transformation which will help customers with wider coverage and enhanced capacity on the network. Ericsson will also undertake the software upgradation of its currently deployed 4G radios thereby enhancing the customer experience," the exchange filing stated.

Reports indicate that Airtel has likely secured contract renewals worth $1.2 billion with Ericsson, Nokia, and Samsung, while also placing orders for new 4G and 5G equipment, according to Business Standard.

The agreement aligns with Airtel’s strategy to strengthen its 4G and 5G infrastructure and focus on upgrading feature phone users in key regions.

This comes amid intensified competition with Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea, the latter of which is expanding its 4G services and preparing for a 5G rollout by March.

Randeep Sekhon, Bharti Airtel’s Chief Technology Officer, said, “The strategic partnership with Ericsson to deploy the latest technology is a testament to Airtel's pursuit of network excellence. This deployment will enable us to further improve the speed, reliability, and coverage of our network, ensuring an exceptional experience for our customers.”

Andres Vicente, head of Ericsson South-East Asia, Oceania, and India, remarked, "This partnership extension reflects our shared vision to build a robust 4G and 5G infrastructure for Bharti Airtel to serve the connectivity needs of its customer base – including the new 5G use cases as they emerge. We will work closely with Bharti Airtel to deliver great user experiences for their customers."