Airtel partners with SK Telecom to enhance network technology, provide 5G services

Key Highlights:

• Airtel said it will leverage SK Telecom’s global leadership to bring India at par with the world’s best, when it comes to network technology
• The partnership will enable evolution of 5G, NFV, SDN and IoT
• Airtel aims to bring 5G technology to India as early as next year. 

Airtel on Wednesday announced that it has tied up with SK Telecom, a South Korean wireless telecom operator to enhance its network technology in the country.

“Bharti Airtel, India’s largest telecommunications services provider, and SK Telecom, Korea’s largest telecommunications company and a world leader in building cutting edge networks, today announced a strategic partnership under which, Airtel will leverage SK Telecom’s expertise to build the most advanced telecom network in India,” the company said.
 
In addition to improving its network technology across India, Airtel will also develop its 5G business which may be introduced in India as early as next year.
 
“The two companies will also collaborate on an on-going basis to evolve standards for 5G, Network Functions Virtualization (NFV), Software-defined Networking (SDN) and Internet of Things (IoT), and jointly work towards building an enabling ecosystem for the introduction of these technologies in the Indian context,” Airtel said.
 
The partnership will work across several areas including developing bespoke software to dramatically improve network experience, leveraging advanced digital tools including machine learning, big data and building customized tools to improve network planning based on every customer’s device experience. 

“We are extremely delighted to announce this partnership with the world’s leading operator when it comes to technology understanding and expertise. This partnership will bring a dramatically improved experience to Airtel customers in India by leveraging the expertise of a company that has built one of the best mobile broadband networks in the world,” Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman - Bharti Airtel said.

“SK Telecom is delighted to announce a strategic partnership with Bharti Airtel, a global leading mobile operator,” said Park Jung-ho, the President and CEO of SK Telecom. “SK Telecom will work closely with Bharti to achieve new network innovations so as to deliver a greater value to Bharti’s customers.”