Nokia has been selected by Citycom Telecommunication Graz to deliver a 5G network covering the City of Graz and the entire province of Styria, in Austria.
Once the deployment if completed, Citycom Graz will offer autonomous industrial-grade private wireless networks for public services and local businesses throughout the region.
With initial implementation focused on IoT for smart city applications, further use cases are being defined in close collaboration between Nokia and Citycom Graz.
Nokia also said that the network will also create new revenue opportunities for the city of Graz.
Citycom Graz plans to invest more than 10 million euros into the project. As part of this investment, the University of Applied Sciences, Graz will deploy the Nokia IMPACT IoT software platform, enabling it to research and develop future IoT use cases.
To support ongoing technical expertise in the region, the University of Applied Sciences, Graz will develop new IoT applications on the Nokia IMPACT IoT software platform as part of its post-graduate program. It is anticipated that this combination of 5G and IoT technologies will provide a platform for city innovation, developing use cases for deployment in local business and public services.
Patrick Langelaan, Vice President Europe South, Nokia Enterprise, said, “More and more cities are realizing the benefits that low-latency, high-bandwidth connectivity can bring — delivering high productivity and efficiency as well as enhanced citizen quality of life. With an ultra-reliable, high-performance 5G network, the city of Graz can take advantage of new applications becoming available, while also creating a local ecosystem of IoT excellence through use case development at the University of Graz.”
Citycom Graz plans to launch the 5G network in the first quarter of 2021. Initially with 50 macro base stations in the first phase, full deployment will include more than 200 sites. In addition to end-to-end 5G networking and IoT IMPACT platform, Nokia will also provide managed services, network planning and optimization.
In related news, Nokia and A1 have joined forces to provide a private wireless network for Siemens’ microgrid, which is deployed at its Austrian headquarters in Vienna.
Nokia highlighted that the A1 campus solution demonstrates the advantages of using a private wireless solution to operate critical applications such as enterprise or utility microgrids.
As part of the project, Nokia is providing the private wireless network, while A1 is providing spectrum along with hosting and management of the newly deployed campus network. The private wireless network is connecting the microgrid assets on the Siemens campus, enabling secure communication between the microgrid controllers and the metering or charging points at guaranteed data rates and with low latency.
Marcus Grausam, CEO A1 Austria, said: “Network slicing in A1’s mobile networks allows organizations to operate private wireless networks which not only offer the best possible security, but also enable completely new applications thanks to lowest possible latency and high reliability. By using this private campus network as the foundation of the Siemens microgrid, we are demonstrating how 5G technologies enable the optimal control of energy facilities.”
Nokia is providing its private wireless technology and services for all existing and new A1 Austria LTE and 5G enterprise campus network deployments.
