Ericsson has signed a new multi-year contract with Bharti Airtel to provide NOC Managed Services across the Indian telecom operator’s national network. The agreement will see Ericsson operate Airtel’s Network Operations Center (NOC), overseeing services across 4G, 5G NSA, 5G SA, Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), Private Networks, and Network Slicing. The deployment emphasizes intent-based operations to improve service quality and operational efficiency at scale.
This latest contract builds on a 25-year partnership between Ericsson and Bharti Airtel, covering every generation of mobile technology in India. In recent years, the collaboration has intensified around 5G initiatives. In 2022, Ericsson and Airtel launched a commercial 5G network in India, and in 2023, Airtel selected Ericsson’s dual-mode 5G Core for its SA rollout. The companies have also worked together on FWA pilots and network slicing use cases, setting the foundation for India’s next phase of digital connectivity.
Ericsson will provide centralized network operations, including advanced analytics and automation, to support Airtel’s growing network demands and future service models. The deal aims to streamline operations while enabling Airtel to offer differentiated network services and monetize 5G capabilities more effectively.
• Multi-year NOC Managed Services deal covers 4G, 5G NSA/SA, FWA, Private Networks, and slicing
• Builds on a 25-year partnership across 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G technologies
• Follows recent 5G Core and network slicing collaborations between the two companies
• Ericsson will deliver intent-based operations via centralized Network Operations Center
• Supports Airtel’s pan-India service delivery and future diversification of offerings
“We are excited to enhance our strong collaboration with Ericsson as we pursue our goal of creating a future-ready network that delivers an exceptional experience for our customers,” said Randeep Sekhon, CTO Bharti Airtel.
“This milestone agreement with Bharti Airtel reinforces our commitment to helping Airtel deliver the best possible experience for its customers,” added Andres Vicente, Head of Market Area Southeast Asia, Oceania and India, Ericsson.