NEW DELHI — Nokia on Wednesday said it has been awarded a multi-year, multi-billion extension deal by Bharti Airtel to deploy 4G and 5G equipment across India. This strategic partnership with Nokia will “future-proof our network infrastructure and provide customers with unparalleled user experience along with a network that will be eco-friendly to minimise environmental impact,” said Gopal Vittal, Vice Chairman and MD, Bharti Airtel. As part of the deal, for which financials were not disclosed, Nokia will deploy equipment from its ‘5G AirScale’ portfolio, including base stations, baseband units and the latest generation of Massive MIMO radios, powered by its ‘ReefShark System-on-Chip’ technology. These solutions will enhance Airtel’s network with exceptional 5G capacity and coverage and support its network evolution. Furthermore, Nokia will modernize Airtel’s existing 4G network with multiband radios and baseband equipment, which can also support 5G, said the company. Pekka Lundmark, President and CEO of Nokia, said that this agreement “further solidifies our long-standing collaboration with Airtel and our footprint in India”. Also read: PhonePe becomes top-rated app on Apple app store in India “Our industry-leading AirScale portfolio and AI-based services will enhance the energy efficiency of Airtel’s network, enabling premium 5G capacity and connectivity with...