Ericsson has entered into a long-term strategic 5G contract with Reliance Jio to roll out 5G standalone (SA) in the country. The announcement follows the allocation of 5G spectrum in the recently concluded auctions in India. This is the first partnership between Jio and Ericsson for radio access network (RAN) deployment in the country.
Commenting on the partnership, Akash Ambani, chairman, Jio, said, “We are delighted to partner with Ericsson for Jio’s 5G SA rollout. Jio transformed the digital landscape in India with the launch of long-term evolution (LTE) services in 2016. We are confident that Jio’s 5G network will accelerate India’s digitalisation and will serve as the foundation for achieving our nation’s Digital India vision.”
Jio’s SA 5G network deployment represents a major technology leap since it modernises the network infrastructure to deliver a truly transformative 5G experience to consumers and enterprises. The capabilities of 5G SA are expected to drive innovation and build a robust 5G ecosystem and deliver advanced services.
Ericsson’s energy-efficient 5G RAN products and solutions from Ericsson Radio System and E-band microwave mobile transport solution will be deployed in the 5G network for Jio. All products and solutions are deployed on new-build 5G SA networks, designed to maximise the benefits of 5G to communication service providers and their customers, whether individual subscribers or enterprise and industry customers.
Meanwhile, Börje Ekholm, president and CEO, Ericsson, said, “India is building world-class digital infrastructure that will drive innovation, job creation and entrepreneurship across the country. We are happy to partner with Jio in those ambitions, through Ericsson 5G SA connectivity, which will be a major catalyst in meeting those digital transformation goals across society, enterprise and industry.”
