Nokia to help Vodafone Idea bolster its 4G and 5G network in India

Global technology company Nokia on Saturday announced it has been awarded a three-year deal by Vodafone Idea Limited (VIL) to deploy 4G and 5G equipment in India. The companies will deploy 5G network across major cities. The agreement includes the modernisation and expansion of VIL's 4G network of which Nokia is already a major supplier.

The deployment is expected to deliver premium connectivity to 200 million VIL customers.

“5G will bring seamless high-speed connectivity and increased capacity supporting citizens and enterprises alike. This will also enable unprecedented levels of innovation and efficiency across various sectors,” said Akshaya Moondra, CEO of VIL.

The pact will see Nokia deploy equipment from its industry-leading 5G AirScale portfolio, powered by its energy-efficient ReefShark System-on-Chip technology.

This includes base stations, baseband units, and its latest generation of Habrok Massive MIMO radios.

These are designed for easy deployment and will deliver premium 5G capacity and coverage.
Nokia said it will also modernise VIL's existing 4G network with multiband radios and baseband equipment, which can also support 5G.

Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia said this is a continuation of their long-term partnership that has lasted for over three decades.

“They will benefit from the very latest products and innovations from our industry-leading, energy-efficient AirScale portfolio that will bring premium quality capacity and connectivity to their customers,” said Uitto.

Last week, the telecom operator concluded a $3.6 billion deal with Nokia, Ericsson and Samsung for supply of network equipment over a period of three years and strengthen its footprint. The deal marks the first step towards the rollout of the company's transformative three-year capex plan of $6.6 billion.

The capex programme is directed towards expanding the 4G population coverage from 1.03 billion to 1.2 billion, launching 5G in key markets and capacity expansion in line with data growth, said the company.