Vodafone Idea awarded Nokia a three-year contract to upgrade and expand its IP backhaul network across parts of India, in move to modernise its transport network to handle increased 4G and 5G data traffic.

The deal will see the vendor deploy its IP/MPLS gear and replace legacy equipment to improve Vodafone Idea’s core, aggregation and access layers, claiming the upgrade will lower network operating costs, Nokia noted in a statement.

The deployment also will integrate advanced planning, design, installation and migration services, supported by automation-based documentation, the statement added.

Vodafone Idea CTO Jagbir Singh said the deal supports the growth of data traffic in the country, enabling it to build a future-ready transport network.

The operator agreed in September 2024 to source network equipment from Nokia, Ericsson and Samsung worth $3.6 billion over the following three years.

In March 2024, the operator outlined plans to invest INR57.2 billion ($656.8 billion) to bring 5G service to 40 per cent of its revenue base over the following two-and-a-half years.