Bharti Airtel and Qualcomm Technologies will be collaborating for the rollout of 5G network in India. Airtel said it will utilise Qualcomm’s open RAN-based platform to roll out virtualised networks.
Airtel recently demonstrated 5G over a live commercial network in Hyderabad.
The telecom operator said that as a board member of the O-RAN Alliance, it is committed to driving the success of O-RAN and is working with Qualcomm Technologies to explore and implement the open radio network approach for India. The flexible and scalable architecture of O-RAN will create new opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses to become viable players in the deployment of 5G networks, it said.
In addition, Airtel and Qualcomm will partner for 5G fixed wireless access that is designed to deliver broadband connectivity at gigabit speeds to homes and businesses. The collaboration also aims to allow a faster rollout of broadband services in a cost-effective and expeditious manner across India for last mile connectivity challenges, it said.
Airtel 5G solutions will be able to deliver multi-gigabit internet speeds wirelessly to customers. The ultra-fast and low latency of 5G will allow gigabit size file downloads in seconds and 4K video streaming on the go across smartphones and computing devices.
Randeep Sekhon, CTO, Bharti Airtel, said, “Airtel has been a pioneer of new technologies and our networks are fully ready for 5G. We are delighted to have Qualcomm Technologies as a key technology provider in our journey to roll out world-class 5G in India.”
Rajen Vagadia, president, Qualcomm India said, “This collaboration is expected to play a critical role in Airtel’s plans to add 5G network coverage and capacity where and when it is needed the most.”