Nokia, Bharti Airtel to expand 4G deployment in India

As India prepares for the next boom in mobile data demand, Bharti Airtel and Nokia on Monday announced they would expand the deployment of 4G technology across nine circles in the country. The new agreement with Nokia will see Bharti Airtel expand the deployment of 4G technology in three new circles in addition to six circles it already serves, enabling launch of new services that started in September.

Bharti Airtel will be able to provide improved coverage and faster mobile internet access, while laying the foundation for the delivery of enhanced video services and other on-demand applications, the companies said in a statement. "We are pleased to continue to leverage Nokia's leading radio access technology and services expertise to expand 4G capacity and coverage and further increase the quality of service for subscribers," Bharti Airtel said in a statement.

"We have a long history of working with Bharti Airtel and this network expansion will provide the capacity, coverage and speeds the company needs to meet the next wave of data demand in India," added Sanjay Malik, Head, India Market, Nokia.