Bharti Airtel to join Intel, Facebook at Telecom Infra Project

Bharti Airtel, the country's largest mobile telecom service provider, has become a member of Telecom Infra Project (TIP), with the company launching a Community Lab in the country.

TIP is a global initiative founded by Facebook, Deutsche Telekom, Intel, Nokia and SK Telecom to create a new approach to building and deploying telecom network infrastructure.

Airtel is demonstrating its commitment to TIP's efforts by converting a part of its engineering centre for Network Excellence in Manesar (Gurgaon) - its lab for validation and demonstration of new technologies and solutions - into a TIP Community Lab. The facility will be used by TIP project group members to create solutions for telecom networks.

''We look forward to collaborating with other TIP members in creating innovative network infrastructure solutions for the future, and quickly and cost-effectively expand the reach of our networks to serve customers with exciting and disruptive solutions,'' said Abhay Savargaonkar, Director – Networks (India & South Asia), Bharti Airtel.

Founded in February 2016, TIP is an engineering-focused initiative driven by operators, suppliers, integrators and startups to disaggregate the traditional network deployment approach. The community's collective aim is to collaborate on new technologies, examine new business approaches and spur new investments into the telecom space.

''Our community is re-imagining traditional approaches to network deployment everywhere, and this lab can accelerate the development of innovative solutions for achieving this goal. TIP members can take advantage of this facility to refine new products, technologies and solutions, from proof of concept, through trials and ultimately deployment,'' said Axel Clauberg, TIP Chairman and Vice President, Technology Innovation, Deutsche Telekom AG.