Bharti Airtel’s stock price jumped nearly 3% on February 25, 2025, to ₹1,643 per share, marking the end of a six-day losing streak. The surge followed the announcement of a strategic partnership with Ericsson to enhance Airtel’s 5G capabilities. The collaboration focuses on deploying Ericsson’s 5G Core technology, which is expected to significantly boost Airtel’s network performance and lay the foundation for the telecom giant’s future 5G advancements.
The partnership with Ericsson is a critical step in Bharti Airtel’s 5G strategy. Through the deployment of Ericsson’s dual-mode 5G Core, Airtel will transition to a fully operational, large-scale 5G Standalone network. This upgrade will bring faster speeds, more reliable connectivity, and enhanced services to Airtel’s millions of customers and enterprises across India.
The new 5G Core technology will allow Airtel to offer network slicing-based services and API exposure, unlocking new opportunities for both consumer and enterprise applications. As part of the agreement, Ericsson will also deploy its Signaling Controller solution and 5G Standalone-enabled Charging and Policy solution, which will support Airtel’s 5G monetization efforts and enable the development of new business models.
Airtel’s Chief Technology Officer, Randeep Sekhon, highlighted the significance of this collaboration, describing it as a major step in Airtel’s long-term 5G roadmap. He emphasized that Ericsson’s technology would help increase network capacity, deliver high-quality services, and offer differentiated experiences to Airtel’s customers.
The partnership also underscores the long-standing relationship between Bharti Airtel and Ericsson, which spans more than 25 years. Ericsson played a key role in providing Airtel’s first 5G contract in India, and the two companies have consistently collaborated on various mobile communication technologies.
In addition to the 5G Core partnership, Bharti Airtel has been making moves in the digital content space. Recently, the company entered a strategic partnership with Apple to offer Apple TV+ and Apple Music to Airtel customers, further strengthening its position in the market. Airtel has also seen an increase in its Average Revenue Per User (ARPU), which rose to ₹245 in the December quarter, compared to ₹208 in the same period last year.
This latest development is expected to position Bharti Airtel as a leader in India’s rapidly evolving 5G landscape, providing a significant competitive edge over other telecom operators in the country.
