Communications solutions provider Bharti Airtel and Qualcomm Technologies Inc on Tuesday announced a collaboration for accelerating fifth-generation (5G) in India.

Recently, Airtel became India's first telco to demonstrate 5G over a live commercial network in Hyderabad. The company will utilise Qualcomm 5G radio access network (RAN) platforms to roll-out virtualised and open RAN-based 5G networks.

A recent TRAI report showed that Airtel added 4.05 million wireless subscribers in the month of December 2020, retaining its top spot when it comes to monthly subscribers.

Airtel said the flexible and scalable architecture of 0-RAN will create new opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses to become viable players in the deployment of 5G networks.

In addition, Airtel and Qualcomm Technologies will collaborate to enable a wide array of use cases, including 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) that is designed to deliver broadband connectivity at gigabit speeds to homes and businesses.

This collaboration also aims to allow a faster rollout of broadband services in a cost-effective and expeditious manner across India for last-mile connectivity challenges that are becoming increasingly important in today's remote, mobile-first society.

"With Airtel's integrated service portfolio and Qualcomm Technologies' 5G leadership, we will be well placed to usher India into the next era of hyper-fast and ultra-low latency digital connectivity," said Randeep Sekhon, Chief Technology Officer at Bharti Airtel.

Rajen Vagadia, Vice President at Qualcomm India, said there is a compelling case to accelerate the roll-out of 5G networks in India as it will help fast-track the country's socio-economic growth and development.

"We are excited by the opportunity ahead. This collaboration is expected to play a critical role in Airtel's plans to add 5G network coverage and capacity where and when it is needed the most," he said. 

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