Vodafone Idea expands Ericsson 5G partnership 

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The deal follows a $3.6 billion network equipment deal signed with Samsung, Nokia, and Ericsson just last month 

This week, Vodafone Idea (Vi) has expanded its partnership with Ericsson by signing new contracts to upgrade its 4G network and introduce 5G services in in key regions, including Delhi, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan. 

This new deal builds on the long-standing relationship between the two companies and is aimed at strengthening India’s digital infrastructure to meet rising customer demands.  

In addition to expanding network coverage and quality, Ericsson’s deployment will also be more energy efficient, leveraging technologies like its mid-band Massive MIMO radios to improve network performance. 

“Collaborating with Ericsson will enable Vi to modernise its 4G network and rapidly deploy a world class 5G network. 5G deployment will enable us to seamlessly manage the growing data traffic on the Vi network, provide secure and reliable connectivity while enhancing the customer experience from the network,” said Vi CEO Akshaya Moondra in a press release. 

Vi is significantly behind its rivals Bharti Artel and Reliance Jio in its 4G rollout and has yet to deploy 5G at scale. As such, the company has been steadily losing market share for years.  

To make matters worse, the company is languishing under the weight of billions of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues it owes the government, a fact that has further hamstringed its attempts to expand and modernise its infrastructure. 

However, Vi did successfully raise $4.4 billion that the company raised in April and May via equity financing, and it is quickly putting these funds to good use. Last month, Vi inked a $3.6 billion network equipment deal with Nokia, Ericsson, and Samsung. The deal will see the vendors supply Idea with equipment over the next three years. The company will use this equipment to expand its 4G population coverage from 1.03 billion to 1.2 billion, as well as launching 5G in selected Indian markets. 

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