Currently, the equipments will be used for 4G services and can be upgraded to provide 5G services as per business requirement of Vodafone Idea, Ericsson said.

"We have been strategic partners to both Vodafone India and Idea Cellular for several years, and now we enter a new phase of partnership with this deal with Vodafone Idea. The 5G-ready solutions in the Ericsson radio system portfolio will help boost the capacity of VIL's LTE network and broaden the availability of high-quality mobile broadband services for its customers. These deployments will play an important role in building Vodafone Idea's future-ready 5G network," Nunzio Mirtillo, head of Ericsson South East Asia, Oceania and India said.

Ericsson India has already begun radio access and microwave network consolidation and modernization which will enable telecom players to increase coverage, quality and capacity with optimal opex and capex efficiencies. Consolidation of existing deployed base (2G/3G) will be carried out to maximize spectrum on LTE, followed by ongoing optimization of the network in order to enhance end-user experience, Ericsson said.

Ericsson India has already begun radio access and microwave network consolidation and modernization which will enable telecom players to increase coverage, quality and capacity with optimal opex and capex efficiencies. Consolidation of existing deployed base (2G/3G) will be carried out to maximize spectrum on LTE, followed by ongoing optimization of the network in order to enhance end-user experience, Ericsson said.

Vodafone Idea are is the process of integrating their networks after their merger got final approval in August last year. Vodafone Idea's chief technology officer Vishant Vora said the integration has been completed in 9 circles, while a full integration is expected to be complete by June 2020. Once the integration is completed, our network will be 5G ready as the new radio, core and transport equipments are being installed in the network which will be ready for future technologies.