Vodafone Idea to complete network integration by June 2020

New Delhi, Feb 20 (IANS) The network integration process of Vodafone Idea is on track and expected to complete by June 2020, said the company's Chief Technology Officer Vishant Vora on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters here, Vora said that already the 'Radio' network integration has completed in nine circles covering 481 million (48.1 crore) of the country's population.

"Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, MP (Madhya Pradesh) and Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Jharkhand, RoWB (West Bengal excluding Kolkata), Assam, NESA (North East), and AP (Andhra Pradesh) and Telangana become the first nine circles to successfully consolidate network in the world's largest network integration exercise," Vodafone Idea said in a statement.

The nine circles "constitute 48 per cent of India's landmass and population of 481 million", it said.

Vora also said that "36 per cent of the total spectrum (1850 MHz) is consolidated for both the brands."

On 5G-spectrum auctions, the official said that the auctions should not be held before 2020 as the industry needs time to develop India-specific used cases and the required infrastructure.

He said by 2020, 90 per cent of the Vodafone Idea's TDD (Time Division Duplex) radios would be 5G ready and all the new base bands would be 5G capable.

Earlier in the day, Swedish technology major Ericsson said that it has selected by Vodafone Idea to provide and deploy 5G-ready equipment across eight circles in India.

Under the contract, which has been signed for a three-year period, Ericsson would supply radio access and transport equipment from its "5G-ready Ericsson Radio System portfolio, including 'MINI-LINK' 6000 microwave backhaul solution", an Ericsson statement said.