Nokia announced its 5G baseband products deal with NTT Docomo for aiming to deploy in a 5G mobile network that will be in commercial service by 2020.
This is the first 5G equipment deal for Nokia. Ericsson has already announced several 5G infrastructure deals.
Finland-based Nokia will support NTT Docomo for its 5G operation in Japan by enhancing baseband units and integrating its 5G New Radio (5G NR)-based AirScale hardware in the network.
NTT Docomo’s wireless customers will experience better quality network thanks to 5G’s high speed, superior capacity and ultra-low latency. In addition, Nokia’s 5G baseband solution will provide a natural evolution to existing 4G deployments and integration into the existing operational environment.
Nokia has already supplied 3G and 4G networking technology to NTT Docomo, the leading telecom operator in Japan. The two companies have also worked closely together in trials of 5G technologies.
The supply of Nokia’s 5G BBUs will do centralized management for 5G RRHs (remote radio heads) for aiming to deploy in 5G network. This is aligned with NTT Docomo’s 5G direction, which is utilizing existing C-RAN architecture for 5G.
Nokia will support NTT Docomo in the evolution of its network from 4G to 5G, providing technology based on the new 3GPP-compliant 5G NR standard, the first stage of which was published shortly before the end of 2017.
“We have been collaborating with partners such as Nokia on various 5G technology and use case trials since 2014. With this agreement with Nokia, we are now proceeding to the next step to launch 5G mobile services by 2020, and accelerate co-creation of new services and businesses with vertical industry partners,” said Hiroshi Nakamura, chief technology officer of NTT Docomo.
Nokia is focused on applying the 3GPP-compliant 5G New Radio standard, and is involved in more than 50 customer trials of the technology, ahead of expected commercial launches between 2019 and 2020.
“The agreement with NTT DOCOMO is a major milestone in bringing 5G to commercial reality,” said Marc Rouanne, president of Mobile Networks at Nokia.
