Japanese operator KDDI has selected Nokia as a primary partner to upgrade its 4G network to 5G, the Finnish vendor said in a release.
Under the terms of the agreement, Nokia will deploy its Airscale radio access solution, which supports both 4G and 5G operations. This will allow KDDI to modernize its 4G network and meet the growing consumer and industrial demands for 5G, Nokia said.
Nokia is an existing supplier to KDDI across multiple technologies, including radio, fixed networks, mobile core network and multiple software solutions. The 5G network will support KDDI across both centimeter-wave and millimeter-wave 5G frequency bands and can be deployed in both distributed and centralized architectures, the vendor said.
The network will be deployed across Japan and will deliver enhanced mobile broadband to consumers and enhanced Machine-Type Communications (eMTC) enabling multiple new applications and services for industries in the 5G era. The network architecture will also be transformed to enable 5G Ultra Reliable Low Latency Connectivity (URLLC), Nokia added.
“This deal will allow KDDI to get ready for the 5G era and we are honored and excited to continue our long-term relationship. As an end-to-end supplier of multiple technologies to KDDI, we look forward to transforming the network and launching 5G for consumers and industries,” said John Harrington, head of Nokia Japan.
Nokia says it currently has 48 global 5G commercial contracts, including live networks in the U.S., Latin America, Europe, Korea and Australia.
Ericsson , Telenor connect two Norwegian locations with 5G
In related news, Ericsson and Norwegian communications service provider Telenor have connected two Norwegian locations via 5G for the first time, as part of the country’s largest 5G pilot network.
The two companies have deployed a 5G pilot network in Elverum, about 140 km from the capital, Oslo.
Ericsson Radio System technology and related services are enabling the pilot network, which operates on the 3.6 GHz frequency band. More than 50 domestic and business Norwegian customers in Elverum will be connected to test 5G-enabled services such as Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), TV, smart home and smart phone connectivity, Ericsson said.
“The success of this 5G pilot signals great things in store not just for Elverum, but for Norway as a whole. The benefits of 5G’s high speeds, low latency, and superior reliability will make a real difference,” said Jenny Lindqvist, head of Northern and Central Europe at Ericsson. “Ericsson is leading the way in 5G in Europe, so we are pleased to work with partners such as Telenor to ensure that their customers in turn also benefit from that leadership and expertise.”
Telenor, which aims to launch 5G commercially in 2020, said it is currently in the process of selecting its 5G technology suppliers.
The Norwegian government does not plan to block Chinese vendor Huawei from building the country’s 5G telecoms network, cabinet minister Nikolai Astrup recently told Reuters.
“We have a good dialogue with the companies on security, and then it is up to the companies themselves to choose suppliers. We haven’t got any bans against any suppliers in Norway,” said cabinet minister Nikolai Astrup.
In January, then-justice minister Tor Mikkel Wara said banning Huawei was under consideration.
“We share the same concerns as the United States and Britain and that is espionage on private and state actors in Norway,” Wara told Reuters at the time.
Huawei has been barred from participating in 5G contracts in the U.S, Australia and Japan over security allegations. The company has denied that using its equipment poses a national security risk.
