Airtel Kenya taps Nokia to modernize network infrastructure; lay 5G foundations


Devdiscourse News Desk | Nairobi | Updated: 30-11-2020 12:07 IST | Created: 30-11-2020 12:07 IST
Airtel Kenya taps Nokia to modernize network infrastructure; lay 5G foundations
(Representative Image) Image Credit: ANI
  • Country:
  • Kenya

Finnish telecom giant Nokia said Monday it has been selected by Airtel Kenya in a three-year deal to modernize and expand existing network infrastructure and lay the groundwork for 5G migration.

"This is an exciting deal in an exciting market. We are proud to supply Airtel Kenya with our comprehensive AirScale portfolio and support the operator with its efforts to deliver the best possible connectivity experiences to end-users in Kenya. In a maturing market, we look forward to helping Airtel execute its strategy in the short-term as well as set it on the path to 5G services," said Rajiv Aggarwal, Head of CEWA Market Unit at Nokia.

In a press release on Monday, Nokia said that the deployment will cover hundreds of sites and include upgrading existing 2G, 3G and 4G radio access network (RAN) coverage in urban, semi-urban, highways, tourist spots and central business districts in Nairobi and the rest of Kenya. With Nokia's future-proofed network infrastructure, the African telecom operator will also have the option to smoothly transition to 5G when necessary.

Airtel Kenya will leverage Nokia's AirScale Single RAN (S-RAN) portfolio to deliver improved connectivity and capacity benefits including enhanced voice and data services to its subscribers while reducing complexity and driving cost efficiencies. This will enable the operator to provide higher data speeds using additional 4G spectrum bands and provide access to secure, high-speed and reliable data services.

To securely manage Airtel Kenya's networks, Nokia will deploy its NetAct cloud-agnostic software solution that manages both radio and core networks and provides applications that oversee fault, configuration, performance and security management. As part of the three-year deal, the Finnish telecom giant will also provide digital deployment, network planning and technical support services to Airtel Kenya.

Commenting on the collaboration, P. D. Sarma, CEO, Airtel Kenya, said, "We are excited to partner with Nokia on this project. Its technology portfolio improves our network quality considerably and also allows us to move to 5G services in the future."

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