Nokia Siemens $700 million deal with Bharti Airtel

Bharti Airtel Limited, Asia’s leading integrated telecom services provider and Nokia Siemens Networks today further strengthened their strategic partnership with a USD 700 million network expansion contract. 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 Company said it will also ensure that Bharti Airtel’s core and transport network is 3G-ready in order to reduce time to market and enable the fast rollout of 3G services at a later date.

This 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.

“Airtel continues to drive innovation and leadership in the telecom sector. This expansion will not only expand our networks deeper into the rural hinterland but will also allow us to deliver a rich end-user experience, and satisfy the increasing demand for top-quality services,” said Sanjay Kapoor, chief executive officer designate, Bharti Airtel. “We are delighted with Nokia Siemens Networks’ proven expertise and deep understanding of our requirements along with the assurance of network infrastructure that helps us sustain our leadership edge in India.”

Nokia Siemens Networks is expanding and upgrading the operator’s 2.5G network to increase network capacity by 50% in eight circles.