Finnish telecom gear maker Nokia on Tuesday announced signing a deal worth Rs 7,500 crore with Bharti Airtel to enhance the mobile operator’s network capacity in nine circles across the country.

The agreement is expected to give a fillip to customer experience, particularly in 4G.

It is learnt that the size of the deal is around Rs 7,500 crore.

“This initiative with Nokia is a major step. We have been working with Nokia for more than a decade now and are delighted to use Nokia’s SRAN products in improving the capacity and coverage of our network as we prepare for 5G,” Gopal Vittal, managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) India and South Asia at Bharti Airtel, said.

Nokia’s SRAN solution helps operators to manage their 2G, 3G and 4G networks from one platform reducing network complexity, increasing cost efficiencies and future-proofing investment.

Rajeev Suri, president and chief executive officer at Nokia, said, “This is an important agreement for the future of connectivity in one of the world’s largest telecoms markets and solidifies our position in India. This project will enhance their current networks and deliver best-in-class connectivity to Airtel customers but also lay the foundations for 5G services in the future.”

This agreement becomes significant in the current Covid-19 scenario where the demand and consumption of data has increased and has put pressure on the telecom companies to invest more towards network enhancement.

The rollout, which will also lay the foundation for providing 5G connectivity in the future, will see approximately 300,000 radio units deployed across several spectrum bands, including 900 Mhz, 1800 Mhz, 2100 Mhz and 2300 Mhz, and is expected to be completed by 2022, a joint statement by the two companies said.