What's the news: Reliance Jio has signed deals with Nokia and Ericsson to procure infrastructure for building its 5G network, the two suppliers noted in press releases dated October 17. Jio’s closest competitor and India’s second-largest carrier Airtel has also partnered with Nokia and Ericsson, along with Samsung, Airtel revealed earlier this month. Why does this matter: Until a couple of years ago, China-based Huawei and ZTE were the leading supplier of 5G equipment and the go-to choice for telecom operators. However, in the last two years, most countries, including India, the US, the UK, and Australia have either banned or discouraged the use of equipment from these two companies because of their close ties with the Chinese government. The latest deals by Jio and Airtel confirm that Huawei and ZTE have effectively been shut out from the 5G race in India. Details of the deals: Ericsson: Sweden-based Ericsson announced that it has entered into a "long-term strategic 5G contract" with Jio) to roll out 5G Standalone (SA) in the country. "Ericsson’s energy-efficient 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) products and solutions (from the Ericsson Radio System portfolio) and E-band microwave mobile transport solutions will be deployed in the 5G network for Jio," the company stated. Nokia: Finland-based Nokia said that it has won a "multi-year deal with Reliance Jio India to build one of the largest 5G networks in the world." Nokia will supply equipment from "its AirScale portfolio, including base stations, high-capacity 5G Massive MIMO antennas, and Remote Radio Heads (RRH) to…
