India, Feb. 20 -- Telstra has announced a four-year partnership with Ericsson to upgrade its radio access network (RAN) with Open RAN-ready hardware and 5G Advanced software, making it the first telecom provider in the Asia-Pacific region to deploy a high-performing, programmable 5G network.

Under the agreement, Telstra will enhance its network with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation, enabling self-detection and self-healing capabilities. The upgrade is expected to improve spectrum efficiency, increase 5G network capacity, and provide greater consistency in speed and reliability for customers.

Telstra's investment in a programmable network will allow the company to offer tailored connectivity solutions, moving away from a one-s...