Finnish telecom major Nokia has bagged a “multi-year, multi-billion” extension deal from Airtel to deploy 4G and 5G equipment across Indian cities and states.

Airtel in a statement on Wednesday said that Nokia will deploy equipment from its 5G AirScale portfolio, including base stations, baseband units and the latest generation of Massive MIMO (multiple input multiple output) radios, powered by its energy-efficient ReefShark system-on-chip technology.

“These solutions will enhance Airtel’s network with exceptional 5G capacity and coverage and support its network evolution. Furthermore, Nokia will modernise Airtel’s existing 4G network with multiband radios and baseband equipment, which can also support 5G,” the statement said.

“This strategic partnership with Nokia will future-proof our network infrastructure,” said Gopal Vittal, vice-chairman and MD, Airtel.

“The extension further solidifies our long-standing collaboration with Airtel and our footprint in India,” said Pekka Lundmark, president and CEO of Nokia.