Intel and Airtel partner for 5G O-RAN network deal to ramp up 5G rollout in India

Bharti Airtel on July 21 announced a collaboration with Intel to ramp up the 5G network development by leveraging virtualized radio access network (vRAN) and O-RAN (open radio access network) technologies. In a move aimed at significantly accelerating 5G in India, Airtel will be deploying Intel’s 3rd gen Xeon® Scalable processors, FPGAs and eASICs, and Ethernet 800 series across its network to set up “a solid foundation for rolling out wide-scale 5G, mobile edge computing and network slicing.” As Airtel and Intel both are members of O-RAN Alliance, both companies would work in close collaboration to develop a range of Make in India 5G solutions and further enabling world-class telecom infrastructure in India via local partners. Airtel said in a statement that Open radio access network (O-RAN) will be an area of “tremendous innovation and creativity in the coming years.” It added, “ These O-RAN platforms will leverage Intel FlexRAN, a reference architecture with both software and hardware components, and enable software-based radio base stations that can run on general-purpose servers located at the network edge.” Airtel expresses delight in partnering with Intel In a statement, Bharti Airtel CTO Randeep Sekhon said, “Airtel is delighted to have Intel as a part of its rapidly expanding partner ecosystem for 5G. Intel’s cutting-edge technologies and experience will contribute immensely to Airtel’s mission of serving India with world-class 5G services. We also look forward to working with Intel and home-grown companies to unlock India’s potential as a global 5G hub.” Meanwhile, Dan Rodriguez, Intel corporate vice president, Network Platforms Group also said that the ability to “digitally power the vibrant population of India’s connected users requires scalable and agile networks that can evolve to address the growing demands of its users. Airtel is delivering their next-generation enhanced network with a breadth of Intel technology, including Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors and FlexRAN software to optimize RAN workloads with embedded intelligence, to scale their infrastructure and deliver on the promise of a connected India.” IMAGE: Pixabay/PTI

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Intel and Airtel partner for 5G O-RAN network deal to ramp up 5G rollout in India

Bharti Airtel announced a collaboration with Intel to ramp up the 5G network development by leveraging virtualized radio access network & O-RAN technologies.

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