Swedish telecom gear maker Ericsson has said that it has started deploying 5G-ready equipment on Vodafone Idea (VIL) network in eight circles in India, out of 22 circles that the operator has.

The equipment will be used for 4G services at present and can be upgraded to provide 5G services as per business requirement of Vodafone Idea Ltd (VIL), Ericsson said on Wednesday.

“We have been strategic partners to both Vodafone and Idea Cellular and now we enter a new phase of partnership with this deal with VIL. The 5G-ready solutions in the Ericsson Radio System portfolio will help boost the capacity of VIL’s LTE (4G) network and broaden the availability of high quality mobile broadband services for its customers,” Nitin Bansal, Managing Director, Ericsson India, said here.

VIL has plans to invest ₹.20,000 crore in network expansion over the next 15 years.

Vodafone India and Idea Cellular merged in August last year to become the largest telecom operator in the country. As a VIL partner, Ericsson is deploying next-generation technology with built-in customisations and innovations to deliver better consumer experience while building a robust, future-proof network, Ericsson said.

Ericsson India has already begun radio access and microwave network consolidation and modernisation with increased coverage, quality and capacity with optimal opex and capex efficiency, it said.

Consolidation of existing deployed base (2G/3G) will be carried out to maximise spectrum on LTE, followed by ongoing optimisation of the network in order to enhance end-user experience, it added.

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