Airtel Completed Largest Network Transformation in Africa

Bharti Airtel, a leading telecommunications services provider with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa, in the month of November completed a network transformation programme across its mobile operations in 16 African countries in partnership with Ericsson.

The programme involved upgradation and expansion of network elements on all of Airtel's African operations, including switching, radio, network management, data, charging, and consumer-services platforms and systems, the company said in a statement.

Ericsson had deployed wireless technologies under the programme, and it is going enhance Airtel's network capacity and robustness and would also help deliver services to customers at affordable rates.

It makes Airtel's networks fully ready for next generation services that include high speed data and value added services.

The company had implemented a full upgrade of the charging platforms across all operations using Ericsson's Charging System, which will enable it to offer services like mobile wallets to the subscribers.

The project will result in Airtel’s 60+ million customers having a better experience on their networks.

The project was backed by 12000 consulting and systems integration professionals across the world, over one hundred resources worked onsite to ensure successful delivery of this complex project which is the largest network modernization program in Africa’s telecom history.

The transformation programme follows the 2011 announcement of an ongoing five year multi-country managed services agreement, wherein Ericsson would manage and optimise Airtel's mobile networks across Africa.