Reliance Jio, the leading telecom operator in the country, has awarded Ericsson, a major telecom gear vendor, a contract to help with rolling out the 5G SA (standalone) network in India. This is the first time Jio has partnered with Ericsson. For its 4G rollout, Jio had taken help from Samsung. But with 5G, Jio has expanded its horizon and will be working with Ericsson. Akash Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Jio, said, “We are delighted to partner with Ericsson for Jio’s 5G SA rollout. Jio transformed the digital landscape in India with the launch of LTE services in 2016. We are confident that Jio’s 5G network will accelerate India’s digitalization and will serve as the foundation for achieving our nation’s ‘Digital India’ vision.”
Jio Will Only Deploy 5G SA in India for Now
It is only Reliance Jio that will be deploying 5G SA in India for now. 5G SA would be able to drive innovation in the digital space but would take its sweet time to be integrated into the digital ecosystem in India. Ericsson has been providing 5G radios to CSPs (Communication Service Providers) across the world and has proven products with great efficiency. Borje Ekholm, President and CEO, Ericsson, said, “India is building world-class digital infrastructure that will drive innovation, job creation and entrepreneurship across the country. We are happy to partner with Jio in those ambitions, through Ericsson 5G Standalone connectivity, which will be a major catalyst in meeting those digital transformation goals across society, enterprise and industry.” This will be a big win for Ericsson in the Indian market as Jio would be one of the biggest clients for the company.
