Airtel signs ZTE as telecom equipment partner for the first 4G service in India

Bharti Airtel today announced it has selected ZTE Corporation as its telecom equipment partner for the 4G network launch in Kolkata.

The TD/LTE service launch will offer high speed wireless internet access that can support bandwidth intensive applications, support video streaming and high-definition video conferencing.

Telecom Lead earlier reported Airtel will launch 4G services in Kolkata in April and it has selected ZTE as its equipment provider.

Bharti Airtel will deploy its TD-LTE network in the 2.3 GHz frequency band allocated by the Indian government for broadband wireless access technologies.

ZTE will help Airtel plan, design, supply and deploy its 4G network in Kolkata.

Commenting on the potential of 4G services in India, Sanjay Kapoor, CEO Bharti Airtel (India & South Asia) said, "According to industry estimates, by 2016 - 6 percent of all mobile connections will have 4G connection, which would create 36 percent of the total mobile data traffic - thus paving way for the ensuing data revolution. The impending launch of 4G in the country will provide ultra high speed data access, driving fundamental changes in society at large. We look forward to the launch of 4G technology in India, which will be timed to match the world in its launch."

ZTE is offering advanced solutions to LTE market. The company has applied for 381 essential patents (EPs) for LTE standards, which account for approximately seven percent of the total number of EP applications globally. The company has won 30 contracts for LTE commercial application and has deployed test networks in cooperation with more than 100 operators across the globe.

"We are glad to be a part of Airtel's foray into LTE services for the first time in India," said Cui Liangjun, chief executive officer, ZTE India. " ZTE is fully determined to build a strong LTE ecosystem that offers a scintillating experience for Internet users."

Earlier this year Airtel had announced plans to launch LTE services in Maharashtra. For this, the company has chosen Nokia Siemens Networks as equipment partner.

Nokia Siemens Networks will support the large-scale 4G commercial rollout in India by offering the newly introduced and industry's first TD-LTE 6 pipes radio. Nokia Siemens Networks is widely deploying this TD-LTE solution to commercial customers in Russia, Brazil and Saudi Arabia.

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