India’s Bharti Airtel has awarded a US$700 million network expansion contractto Nokia Siemens Networks.
The contract includes network planning, implementation and project management, handling of local logistics and materials, as well as system integration for the base station sites.
Specifically, the GSM network expansion will cover the eight existing circles of Mumbai, Maharashtra & Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh & Chattisgarh, Bihar & Jharkhand, Orissa, Kolkata and West Bengal where Nokia Siemens Networks already provides equipment and managed services for Bharti Airtel. With close to 60% of Airtel’s monthly customers coming from rural regions, this contract will enable Airtel to further aggressively expand its footprint into rural India.
Nokia Siemens Networks will deploy its energy-efficient network solutions, including Flexi multi-radio base stations, packet core platforms and microwave solutions for new and legacy networks to boost performance at a lower total cost of ownership and reduced carbon footprint.
“The unprecedented growth in the Indian telecommunications sector is compelling telecom operators to offer compelling solutions,” said Rajeev Suri, chief executive officer at Nokia Siemens Networks.
Nokia Siemens Networks already supplies Bharti Airtel with a wide spectrum of solutions, including device management, mobile network portability, next-generation fixed-network and an interactive voice response system.
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