Telecom gear maker Ericsson on Monday announced a long-term strategic 5G contract with Reliance Jio to roll out a 5G standalone network in the country.

The announcement follows the allocation of 5G spectrum in the recently concluded auctions in India.

This is the first partnership between Jio and Ericsson for radio access network deployment in the country, PTI reported from New Delhi.

Akash Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Jio, in a statement said, “We are delighted to partner with Ericsson for Jio’s 5G SA rollout…We are confident that Jio’s 5G network will accelerate India’s digitalization and will serve as the foundation for achieving our nation’s ‘Digital India’ vision”.

Jio’s standalone 5G network deployment marks a “technology leap” since it modernizes the network infrastructure to deliver a truly transformative 5G experience to consumers and enterprises, the press release said.

Borje Ekholm, President and CEO of Ericsson, noted that India is building a world-class digital infrastructure that will drive innovation, job creation, and entrepreneurship across the country.

“We are happy to partner with Jio in those ambitions, through Ericsson 5G Standalone connectivity, which will be a major catalyst in meeting those digital transformation goals across society, enterprise and industry,” Ekholm said.