INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Mobile Technology
Airtel deploys India’s largest open
cloud-based VoLTE network with
Nokia software products
create new revenue opportunities for 5G and
Internet-connected devices. As a vendoragnostic,
multi-technology and multidomain
platform, CloudBand will enable
Airtel to lay the foundation for 5G networks
and deliver new digital services with greater
ease, flexibility and agility and ensure a
reliable and high-performing network for
delivering improved customer experience.
CloudBand is an open, scalable, flexible
platform that will allow Airtel to adapt
network capacity in accordance with
changing consumption patterns in real-time
and in a cost-efficient manner.
Nokia multi-cloud management solutions
with analytical capabilities will also simplify
operations for Airtel and allow the operator
to design a network architecture that suits
its needs and deliver new capabilities across
mobility, enterprise and telemedia business
lines for its customers.
As part of its cloudification
strategy, Airtel will
deploy Nokia’s CloudBand
Infrastructure Software
Nokia has announced that its
CloudBand-based software products
are powering Bharti Airtel’s Voice
over LTE (VoLTE) network in India. The
network supports over 110 million customers,
making it the largest cloud-based VoLTE
network in India and the largest Nokia-run
VoLTE in the world.
The cloud-based VoLTE deployment allows
Airtel to provide its mobile customers with
faster and more reliable, cost-efficient call
connectivity. The solution, which has been
deployed to cover all 22 telecom service areas
in India, uses Commercial Off-the-Shelf IT
hardware with cloud-based Virtual Network
Functions (VNFs), which consumes much less
power and space compared to the traditional
2G/3G Circuit Switched legacy core.
Nokia’s VoLTE solution enables Airtel to
free up spectrum by ramping down its 3G
network, allowing the operator to utilize the
freed-up spectrum to deploy 4G/LTE services
for better speed and capacity.
As part of its cloudification strategy,
Airtel will also deploy Nokia’s CloudBand
Infrastructure Software with the aim to
Randeep Sekhon, CTO of Bharti Airtel, said:
“We are delighted to deepen our strategic
partnership with Nokia to build a future ready
and agile network. The country’s largest
open cloud-based VoLTE network is a major
milestone in Airtel’s journey. Our objective
is to reap the benefits of cloud solutions to
simplify our architecture and enable faster
delivery of innovative services, ultimately
delivering an enhanced customer experience.”
Bhaskar Gorti, President of Nokia Software
and Nokia Chief Digital Officer, said: “Nokia
is very pleased to expand our partnership
and support Airtel’s Digital Transformation
journey. Nokia’s carrier-grade cloud software
solutions drive simplicity and flexibility
and will further strengthen Airtel’s solid
5G network foundation and transition to
innovative digital solutions that are customer
and experience centric.” •
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