Made in India 5G: Bharti Airtel, TCS Join Hands To Roll Out 5G Networks In India

Bharti Airtel and Tata Group announced a strategic alliance on Monday to deliver 5G network technologies in India. Tata Group has teamed with Bharti Airtel to build 5G network solutions for India, to compete with Reliance Jio's plans to develop its own 5G telecom network based on open-source technologies.

Airtel will test and deploy this indigenous technology in India as part of its 5G rollout ambitions, with the trial set to begin in January 2022, according to government standards.

The Tata Group has built a 'state of the art' O-RAN-based Radio and NSA/SA Core and an indigenous telecom stack, using the Group's and its partners' capabilities. Beginning in January 2022, this will be open for commercial development. As the network and equipment become increasingly embedded in the software, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) contributes its global system integration expertise to align the end-to-end solution to 3GPP and O-RAN standards.

Made in India' 5G products

These 'Made in India' 5G products and solutions are compliant with international standards and can communicate with other goods using open interfaces specified by the O-RAN Alliance. Once economically proved in Airtel's diversified and brownfield network, 5G technologies will open up the export potential for India, which is currently the world's second-largest telecom market.

Airtel is a member of the O-RAN Alliance's Board of Directors and is committed to researching and deploying O-RAN networks in India. Airtel was the first telecom firm in India to test 5G over its LIVE network in Hyderabad earlier this year. Using spectrum licensed by the Department of Telecom, the business has begun 5G trials in key cities.

Bharti Airtel Ltd closed at Rs539.50 per share on the BSE, up Rs0.6 or 0.11 percent from its previous close of Rs538.90.

Tata Consultancy Services Ltd closed at Rs3,272.45 on the Bombay Stock Exchange, down Rs24.55 or 0.74 percent from its previous close of Rs3,297.