Indian cellco Bharti Airtel has partnered with Qualcomm Technologies for the rollout of 5G, and will use the US-based chipmaker’s 5G RAN Platforms solutions to deploy virtualised and Open RAN-based 5G networks. In addition the two firms will work together to enable a variety of use cases, in particular 5G fixed-wireless access (FWA), with a view to accelerating the rollout of broadband services in a ‘cost-effective and expeditious’ manner. Qualcomm notes that the use of 5G FWA technology can address the challenges for delivering last mile connectivity in India.
Commenting on the tie-up, Airtel CTO Randeep Sekhon was quoted as saying: ‘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. With Airtel’s integrated service portfolio and Qualcomm Technologies’ 5G leadership, we will be well placed to usher India into the next era of hyper-fast and ultra-low latency digital connectivity.’