Bharti Airtel in partnership with Ericsson has completed end-to-end network transformation of its network in Africa.

The network upgrade programme initiated by Bharti Airtel involved a comprehensive upgrade and expansion of network elements on all of operator’s African operations, including switching, radio, network management, data, charging, and consumer-services platforms and systems.

The network transformation program was carried out by Ericsson, which deployed latest wireless technologies to enhance Bharti Airtel’s network capacity and robustness and help deliver best-in-class services to customers at affordable rates. The transformation has also made operator’s network fully ready for next generation services that include high speed data and value added services.

Additionally, a full upgrade of the charging platforms across all operations was implemented by Ericsson using the latest version of its charging system, enabling Airtel to offer subscribers new and innovative value-added services such as mobile wallets.

Commenting on the upgrade of the network, Eben Albertyn, chief technical officer, Airtel Africa, says, “Customer is at the core of everything we do at Airtel. The implementation of this transformation program will enable us to further enrich our customer experience across the region. It allows us to provide Airtel subscribers with the best network possible while meeting the growing usage of mobile data. Our long-standing relationship with Ericsson gave us confidence in their ability to manage and deliver such a large and complex project."

Lars Lindén, head, Ericsson sub-Saharan Africa, says, “In the transition to a networked society in Africa, operators are facing growing challenges in meeting the rapidly evolving demands of consumers. The focus of this project was transforming Airtel Africa’s networks to meet current and future consumer demands.”