Nokia announced that it has secured a three-year agreement from Vodafone Idea Limited (VIL) to deploy 4G and 5G devices. This agreement includes modernizing and expanding VIL’s 4G network, of which Nokia is already a major supplier. This deployment will provide high-quality connectivity for over 200 million VIL customers. Nokia will increase its market share and replace existing suppliers in Chennai and Andhra Pradesh, making it the largest supplier covering over 50% of VIL revenue. Deployment will begin immediately.

According to the agreement, Nokia will deploy devices from its comprehensive and industry-leading 5G AirScale product portfolio and adopt its energy-efficient ReefShark system on chip technology. This includes base stations, baseband units, and the latest generation Habrok Massive MIMO radios. These designs are easy to deploy and will provide high-quality 5G capacity and coverage. Nokia will also modernize VIL’s existing 4G network through multi band radios and baseband devices, which can also support 5G.

VIL will also benefit from Nokia’s industry-leading network optimization and automation platform MantaRay SON. It uses self configuring modules to improve network performance and efficiency, and can be customized and deployed to optimize specific software applications to address unique operational challenges. Nokia will also provide planning, deployment, integration, and network optimization services.

Nokia is a long-term partner of VIL and supports them in deploying their 2G, 3G, 4G, and now 5G networks.

Akshaya Moondra, CEO of Vodafone Idea Limited, said, “We are committed to providing our customers with a first-class 4G and 5G experience, and our new agreement with Nokia will help us achieve this goal. Nokia has been our partner since the beginning. 5G will bring seamless high-speed connectivity and greater capacity to support citizens and businesses. This will also enable innovation and efficiency in all departments to reach unprecedented levels, enabling organizations to thrive in today’s fast-paced digital environment.”

Nokia is proud to be a partner for Vodafone Idea’s next phase of network development, “said Tommi Uitto, President of Nokia Mobile Networks.” This is a continuation of our long-term partnership of over 30 years and highlights their trust in our technology portfolio. They will benefit from the latest products and innovations in our industry-leading energy-efficient AirScale product portfolio, which will bring high-quality capacity and connectivity to their customers. We look forward to working with Vodafone Idea to complete this exciting deployment together.”