The year 2021 witnessed significant activity on the 5G technology front. Over the year, the scope of telco-vendor partnerships continued to evolve as telcos moved from traditional network management and upgradation to deployment of next-generation technologies for building future-fit 5G networks. All operators – Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea Limited (Vi), Reliance Jio and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) – signed contracts with leading telecom equipment vendors to enhance their networking capabilities and gear up for 5G. Besides, the year witnessed several partnerships in the satcom space, with companies scaling up satellite networks to widen their offerings.
On the government front, state governments actively collaborated with industry players on establishing centres of excellence and data centres to enhance their technical capabilities. Technologies such as edge computing, internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) also gained traction during the year, with companies announcing deals to leverage the benefits of telco cloud.
A look at some of the key partnerships and network deals of 2021…
