FY2017-2018
Airtel forges Strategic Partnership with SK Telecom - the most advanced Mobile Broadband Operator in the world
Airtel will partner with SK Telecom to create India’s finest telecom network and leap frog into being a next-gen future ready telco
- ● Airtel will leverage SK Telecom’s global leadership to bring India at par with the world’s best, when it comes to network technology
- ● To design and implement a customised software stack on the Network layer to dramatically improve customer experience
- ● To use machine learning and big data to measure network quality and experience at customer device level
- ● To jointly work towards evolution of 5G, NFV, SDN and IoT
- ● Build a solid pipeline of innovative products and solutions for customers
New Delhi, September 13, 2017: Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), India’s largest telecommunications services provider, and SK Telecom, Korea’s largest telecommunications company and a world leader in building cutting edge networks, today announced a strategic partnership under which, Airtel will leverage SK Telecom’s expertise to build the most advanced telecom network in India.
The partnership will work across several areas including developing bespoke software to dramatically improve network experience, leveraging advanced digital tools including machine learning, big data and building customized tools to improve network planning based on every customer’s device experience. The capacity to identify, monitor and deliver improvements to the network experience on an individual device basis will be a first in India, helped by SK Telecom’s global leadership in this area.
The two companies will also collaborate on an on-going basis to evolve standards for 5G, Network Functions Virtualization (NFV), Software-defined Networking (SDN) and Internet of Things (IoT), and jointly work towards building an enabling ecosystem for the introduction of these technologies in the Indian context.
Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman - Bharti Airtel said, “We are extremely delighted to announce this partnership with the world’s leading operator when it comes to technology understanding and expertise. This partnership will bring a dramatically improved experience to Airtel customers in India by leveraging the expertise of a company that has built one of the best mobile broadband networks in the world.”
“Strong partnerships have been a hallmark of Airtel’s growth journey and we are proud to have always looked ahead to bring the latest technology to India. With SK Telecom’s clear and undisputed leadership in technology, this is one partnership that will decisively change the game in India and put the country at par with the most advanced broadband nations in the world.” added Sunil Bharti Mittal
“SK Telecom is delighted to announce a strategic partnership with Bharti Airtel, a global leading mobile operator,” said Park Jung-ho, the President and CEO of SK Telecom. “SK Telecom will work closely with Bharti to achieve new network innovations so as to deliver a greater value to Bharti’s customers.”
About Bharti Airtel
Bharti Airtel Limited is a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 17 countries across Asia and Africa. Headquartered in New Delhi, India, the company ranks amongst the top 3 mobile service providers globally in terms of subscribers. In India, the company's product offerings include 2G, 3G and 4G wireless services, mobile commerce, fixed line services, high speed home broadband, DTH, enterprise services including national & international long distance services to carriers. In the rest of the geographies, it offers 2G, 3G and 4G wireless services and mobile commerce. Bharti Airtel had over 381 million customers across its operations at the end of July 2017. To know more please visit, www.airtel.com
