Frankfurt, Germany, December 15, 2021: The Next Generation Mobile Networks Alliance (NGMN Alliance), today announces that Bharti Airtel, Comba Telecom, Google, IBM and Telia have joined the Alliance in 2021. With a new positioning earlier this year, the NGMN Alliance put the focus on the most burning topics of mobile telecommunications today and in the future – thus addressing and embracing the entire industry: Mastering the Route to Disaggregation/Operating Disaggregated Networks, Green Future Networks, 6G as well as the continuous support of 5G’s full implementation.

“We very much look forward to a mutually inspiring and beneficial collaboration with Bharti Airtel, Comba Telecom, Google, IBM and Telia and welcome them to our Partnership. Winning these new Partners clearly indicates that our new strategy pays off. Our focus topics address the mobile telecommunications industry’s biggest opportunities and challenges today and in the future, and we have a clear mission to create impact for the benefit of the entire ecosystem”, says Anita Doehler, CEO, NGMN Alliance.

“We are delighted to join the NGMN Alliance and look forward to collaborating with other members to build a roadmap for networks of the future.” says Randeep Sekhon, CTO, Bharti Airtel.

Steve Canepa, Managing Director, Global Communications Sector, IBM, adds: “We firmly believe in the importance of collaboration to accelerate change and innovation – especially in complex topics such as sustainable next generation networks. Joining the NGMN Alliance enables IBM to collaborate with industry stakeholders by leveraging hybrid cloud, AI and automation technologies to drive a sustainable future driven by compute and connectivity.”

With Bharti Airtel, Comba Telecom, Google, IBM and Telia joining the Alliance, NGMN Alliance continues to grow. Today, the operator driven Alliance counts 24 operators among its Partnership, including 79 companies in total, with further growth in progress for 2022.

The NGMN Alliance will be bringing together its Partners and other industry experts at its bi-annual Industry Conference & Exhibition in Paris, September 7-9, 2022. Further details will be announced shortly.