Bharti

New Delhi, February 21, 2024: Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) and Bharti Airtel (Airtel), one of India’s leading telecommunications service providers have successfully demonstrated mm Wave 5G functionality on Airtel network. Peak speeds of 4.7Gbps were achieved during the testing, demonstrating the applicability of mmWave for high network capacity requirements.

The 5G high-band or millimetre wave (mmWave) spectrum is a valuable resource when targeting densely populated urban areas with large number of mobile devices, homes, and business areas. The high-band, above 24 gigahertz (GHz) offers an opportunity for Airtel to offer unprecedented peak rates, low latency, and high capacity.

Randeep Singh Sekhon, CTO, Bharti Airtel says: “The peak throughput experienced during the testing gives us the confidence to deploy mmWave for FWA application. Using FWA customer premises equipment (CPE) supported with 5G mmWave will not only help in delivering greater speeds but will also enable us to cover the large number of users that are not connected so far due to inaccessible fiber connections. Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) is an efficient and scalable alternative to wired connections.”

Nunzio Mirtillo , Head of Ericsson South east Asia , Oceania and India says, “With 5G demonstrations on the 26GHz band now underway, this is a significant step in showcasing how mmWave can be scaled and integrated into a commercial mobile network. Our extensive investments in R&D have produced in-depth knowledge, experience, and multiple 5G mmWave patents. We possess a leading portfolio in the global 5G mmWave patent landscape and fully own the technology we use.”

Ericsson’s purpose-built hardware and innovative software co-design, powered by Ericsson Silicon, places the company in a unique position to fully maximize the potential of the high-band. Ericsson’s mmWave portfolio for macro and street macro levels offers Airtel the opportunity to seamlessly bring high-capacity connectivity to urban dwellers using FWA solution.

According to Ericsson’s FWA handbook 2024 Insights, from 130 million at the end of 2023, FWA connections worldwide are projected to increase to 330 million by the end of 2029. This represents 18 percent of all fixed broadband connections. Of the 330 million projected connections, close to 85 percent are expected to be over 5G. As of November 2023, 50 out of 121 service providers with 5G FWA offerings are in emerging markets.

About Ericsson

Ericsson enables communications service providers to capture the full value of connectivity. The company’s portfolio spans Networks, Digital Services, Managed Services, and Emerging Business and is designed to help our customers go digital, increase efficiency and find new revenue streams. Ericsson’s investments in innovation have delivered the benefits of telephony and mobile broadband to billions of people around the world. The Ericsson stock is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and on Nasdaq New York. www.ericsson.com

About Bharti Airtel:

Headquartered in India, Airtel is a global communications solutions provider with over 500 million customers in 17 countries across South Asia and Africa. The company ranks amongst the top three mobile operators globally and its networks cover over two billion people. Airtel is India’s largest integrated communications solutions provider and the second-largest mobile operator in Africa. Airtel’s retail portfolio includes high-speed 4G/5G mobile broadband and Airtel Xstream Fiber that promises speeds up to 1 Gbps with convergence across linear and on-demand entertainment, streaming services spanning music and video, digital payments and financial services. For enterprise customers, Airtel offers a gamut of solutions that includes secure connectivity, cloud and data center services, cyber security, IoT, Ad Tech and CPaaS (Airtel IQ). For more details visit www.airtel.com