Bharti Airtel Taps Ericsson Core to Power Fixed Wireless Access Rollout Across India

Bharti Airtel has deepened its long-standing partnership with Ericsson by selecting the Swedish telecom giant’s 5G Core network solutions to support its Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) services across India. The move is part of Airtel’s broader strategy to accelerate last-mile broadband connectivity using high-speed 5G networks, especially in underserved and fiber-deficient regions.

 

Key Highlights:

 

Airtel will deploy Ericsson’s dual-mode 5G Core, including its Signaling Controller, Charging, and Policy solutions, to enable seamless FWA services.

 

The partnership will support Airtel’s transition to a full-scale 5G Standalone (SA) network, enhancing capacity, latency, and service differentiation.

 

Ericsson’s 5G Core will allow Airtel to monetize its network through advanced features like network slicing and API exposure, enabling new enterprise and consumer use cases.

 

The deployment will also support Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Function Virtualization (NFV), ensuring scalability and agility.

 

Strategic Significance:

 

Fixed Wireless Access is a key pillar in Airtel’s broadband expansion strategy, offering fiber-like speeds without the need for physical cabling.

 

The collaboration will help bridge India’s digital divide by delivering high-speed internet to rural and semi-urban areas where fiber rollout is challenging.

 

With peak speeds of up to 4.7 Gbps demonstrated on mmWave spectrum, Airtel’s FWA solution is expected to transform home and enterprise connectivity.

 

Outlook: This partnership marks a critical step in Airtel’s 5G monetization roadmap. By leveraging Ericsson’s advanced core infrastructure, Airtel is poised to deliver scalable, high-performance broadband to millions of unconnected households and businesses.

 

Sources: Ericsson Press Release, Airtel Newsroom, ABP Live, GoodReturns.