Nokia to upgrade Vodafone Idea’s optical transport network for 4G, 5G expansion

Jagbir Singh, CTO of Vodafone Idea Limited, stated that with Nokia’s advanced optical network solutions, they are eager to develop a flexible, high-capacity, and future-ready network that will contribute to India’s digital transformation and foster innovation across various sectors.

New Delhi: Telecom major Nokia on Monday said it will upgrade and expand Vodafone Idea Limited’s (VIL) optical transport network across key metro and circle locations in India.

The upgrade will increase its capacity, supporting 4G data growth. In addition, Nokia’s equipment will modernise the network, providing flexibility and efficiency, and boost VIL’s 5G rollout, the company said in a statement.

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“With Nokia’s advanced optical network solutions, we are excited to build an agile, high-capacity and future-ready network that will support India’s digital transformation and drive innovation across sectors,” said Jagbir Singh, CTO at Vodafone Idea Limited.

Among the comprehensive optical suite of products deployed to enable this network overhaul include Nokia’s 1830 Photonic Service Switch (PSS) platform, and its CDC-F 2.0 wavelength switching technologies.

Nokia’s future-ready solution will also enable VIL to efficiently scale its network from C-band to C+L band as required, avoiding the need for any forklift changes in platform or architecture.

According to the company, this deployment will lead to reduced VIL’s operational costs. Additionally, the project prioritises sustainability, incorporating energy-efficient solutions and automation-enabled deployment processes to minimise the carbon footprint.

“Our cutting-edge 1830 PSS technology will ensure their readiness to deliver multi-terabit data growth and support upcoming quantum-safe services for their enterprise customers,” said Sang Xulei, Vice President and Head of Network Infrastructure at Nokia Asia Pacific.

The company will also deploy its market-leading photonic service engine (PSE-Vs) super-coherent optics, industry-leading Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) and optical transport network (OTN) to ensure VIL’s customers continue to experience great connectivity even during peak usage times.

This significant milestone with VIL, further cements Nokia’s leadership in India’s optical transport market and commitment to enabling next-generation connectivity in India, Xulei added.

Vodafone Idea Limited holds a large spectrum portfolio including mid band 5G spectrum in 17 circles and mmWave spectrum in 16 circles.