Bharti Airtel shares jumped nearly 3% on the NSE during intraday trade on February 25 to hit ₹1,649.15, snapping a six-day losing streak. The rally came after the telecom giant announced a partnership with Ericsson to deploy 5G core solutions that support its transition to a full-scale 5G standalone (SA) network over time.
In an exchange filing, Airtel said, “This collaboration will enable Airtel to seamlessly transition to a commercially live, full-scale 5G standalone network, delivering high-end 5G capabilities to customers.”
The deal will see Ericsson deploy its signalling controller solutions as well as 5G standalone-enabled charging and policy solutions within Airtel’s network.
Randeep Sekhon, CTO, Bharti Airtel, said, “This rollout will play a key role in Airtel’s long-term 5G strategy, enhancing network capacity and enabling us to deliver innovative, differentiated services to customers.”
Ericsson has been Bharti Airtel’s long-term technology partner for over 25 years, covering every generation of mobile communications. It also won Airtel’s first 5G contract in India. By market close, Bharti Airtel shares closed at ₹1,638.45, up 2.32% (₹38.25) on the NSE.
