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  • IBM and Nokia to Deliver Private 5G Environments

    IBM and Nokia to Deliver Private 5G Environments

    IBM and Nokia are working together to give customers the ability to design and deploy private 5G environments.

    While consumer tech often takes the 5G spotlight, the wireless tech is already revolutionizing industries, powering edge computing and delivering high-speed connectivity in under-served areas. Private networks are one area where 5G shines, giving companies a high-speed network they have complete control over.

    IBM and Nokia are working to deliver such a solution, one that will give customers the ability to manage their 5G environments using a unified management stack:

    IBM and Nokia have a history of collaborating to support enterprise customers. In 2020, we extended the collaboration to IBM Cloud technology and we now intend to build a seamless, simplified private 5G managed service offering to ultimately deliver private 5G solutions on IBM Cloud Satellite to enterprise customers. As clients innovate at the edge, IBM Cloud Satellite helps provide enhanced resiliency, performance, security and compliance capabilities.

    Additionally, we intend to explore ways to enable CSPs to design, automatically build, instantly connect, as well as operate and observe their private 5G environments using a unified management stack. Supported by IBM Consulting’s systems integration expertise Nokia intends to integrate IBM’s Cloud Pak for Network Automation solution into our current joint offering, which IBM has validated for the deployment of IBM Cloud Satellite. CSPs may be able to address new connectivity demands in a flexible, simplified, automated way that provides them with the ability to potentially offer enterprise connectivity solutions at scale. Enterprises may benefit from a secure, customized connectivity services enabled by a highly available 5G Cloud network.

    The collaboration between IBM and Nokia is good news for customers looking for strong 5G options.

  • AST SpaceMobile Taps Nokia for Its Space-Based Cellular Network

    AST SpaceMobile Taps Nokia for Its Space-Based Cellular Network

    AST SpaceMobile has signed a five-year deal with Nokia as it works to develop the only space-based cellular network.

    AST SpaceMobile’s goal is to provide 4G and 5G cellular service from space. Such a network would be largely immune from many of the geographical issues that can impede traditional terrestrial network rollouts. Like any spaced-based service, AST SpaceMobile’s service will require ground base stations, which Nokia will provide, according to the companies.

    Nokia will provide equipment from its comprehensive, energy-efficient AirScale portfolio including its AirScale base stations powered by its latest generation of Nokia’s ReefShark System-on-Chip (SoC) chipsets. AST SpaceMobile will benefit from Nokia’s modular baseband plug-in cards which add capacity where it is needed offering flexibility and efficiency. Nokia will also provide its NetAct solution for network management and seamless daily network operations as well as optimization and technical support services.

    The combination of Nokia’s technology and expertise, combined with AST SpaceMobile’s plan for global coverage, should help close the connectivity gap for millions of people around the world.

    “With the integration of Nokia’s AirScale system, AST SpaceMobile and Nokia are taking an important step toward closing connectivity gaps all over the world,” said Scott Wisniewski, Chief Strategy Officer at AST SpaceMobile. “Nokia is supporting us with dozens of engineers and development professionals, including leading architecture research experts at Bell Labs, the world-renowned industrial research arm of Nokia. In the coming months, we are scheduled to launch our BlueWalker 3 test satellite into low Earth orbit, which has a 64-square meter phased array antenna designed for direct-to-cell connectivity. With this satellite, we plan to conduct testing all over the world with leading mobile network operators, leveraging Nokia’s technology solutions on the ground.”

  • Nokia’s Fortunes Rebound on Strong Q3 Results

    Nokia’s Fortunes Rebound on Strong Q3 Results

    Nokia turned in strong Q3 results, buoyed by 5G equipment sales, giving the company a much-needed boost.

    Nokia is one of the top companies providing 5G equipment worldwide. Nonetheless, it often plays second fiddle to its competitors, especially Ericsson and Samsung. The latest quarter contained good news for the company.

    According to The Seattle Times, Nokia’s sales came in at 6.2 billion euros, a 16% increase.

    “As we start to look beyond 2022, we recognize the increasing macro and geopolitical uncertainty within which we operate,” CEO Pekka Lundmark said in a statement. “While it could have an impact on some of our customers’ … spending, we currently expect growth on a constant currency basis in our addressable markets in 2023.”

    Lundmark says the third-quarter results “demonstrates we are delivering on our ambition to accelerate growth.”

    “Considering our recent success in new 5G deals in regions like India which are expected to ramp up strongly in 2023, we believe we are firmly on a path to outperform the market and to make progress towards achieving our long-term margin targets,” he added.

  • Vodafone Idea Looks to Avoid Ericsson/Nokia 5G Duopoly

    Vodafone Idea Looks to Avoid Ericsson/Nokia 5G Duopoly

    Vodafone Idea (Vi) is looking for a third-party provider of 5G equipment in an effort to avoid an Ericsson/Nokia duopoly.

    Ericsson and Nokia are the two main 5G equipment manufacturers in the world. Huawei was once in the top three, but global sanctions have crippled the company’s ability to compete.

    Despite there being two companies to choose from, Indian telecom company Vi is eager to avoid a duopoly, and is looking to source 5G equipment from a third company, according to TelecomTalk. The company is looking at both local and international vendors.

    Despite its desire to avoid a duopoly, it’s unlikely Huawei or ZTE will be able to take advantage of the situation. The Indian government has been among those excluding Huawei from its 5G network rollout.

  • UScellular Taps Nokia For Its 5G Standalone Core

    UScellular Taps Nokia For Its 5G Standalone Core

    UScellular has extended a contract with Nokia for the Finnish company to provide its 5G standalone core.

    UScellular is a regional carrier in the US, and currently the fourth-largest in the country, behind Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T. Like most carriers, the company is rolling out its 5G network and has tapped Nokia for its rollout. Nokia will provide its AirScale radios, which will provide both high-speed mmWave and widespread low-band 5G.

    “As we continue to expand and enhance our 5G network, we value the innovation and support that Nokia provides to help us deliver a superior wireless experience to our residential and business customers,” said Mike Irizarry, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, UScellular. “As we deploy 5G SA core, Nokia brings expertise, technology excellence and the right mix of hardware, software and services to meet our requirements for high performance and low latency.”

    “We are thrilled to be selected by UScellular to deliver a full 5G experience to its customers,” said Ed Cholerton, President of Nokia North America. “Our 5G SA core and 5G radios provide not only new capabilities, scale, operational efficiencies, and revenue opportunities, but drive a far better user experience that customers expect. Working with UScellular to provide the core network function software and cloud infrastructure continues our momentum in the North American standalone 5G core market.” 

    The contract is a big win for Nokia as the company continues to fight for its share of the 5G market.

  • Google Pulls Out of Mobile World Congress Event

    Google Pulls Out of Mobile World Congress Event

    Mobile World Congress (MWC) is one of the biggest phone events of the year, but it will go on without one of its biggest attendees, as Google pulls out.

    MWC is one of the biggest electronics events of the year, and serves as a place for phone manufacturers to showcase their upcoming models. It’s especially helpful for smaller companies that may not have the same pull in the press as Apple, Google or Samsung.

    Last year, MWC 2020 was canceled as a result of the pandemic. This year, planning has resumed for an in-person event, using only standard protective precautions. In contrast, most other major events in the tech industry are still being held digitally.

    It seems Google isn’t willing to take the risk, given the ongoing pandemic.

    “Following our current COVID-19 travel restrictions and protocols, Google has made the decision to not exhibit at Mobile World Congress this year,” read Google’s statement. “We will continue to collaborate closely with GSMA and support our partners through virtual opportunities. We look forward to this year’s activities and seeing you in Barcelona in 2022.”

    Ericsson was the first company to announce they would not be attending because of the pandemic. They were quickly joined by Nokia, Sony and now Google. It remains to be seen if MWC will change course, given the high-profile pull-outs. Interestingly, MWC organizers insisted on continuing with the conference last year, only to abandon those plans when enough major companies withdrew their support.

  • Intel CEO Wants Apple Back As a Customer

    Intel CEO Wants Apple Back As a Customer

    Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has his sights set on regaining Apple as a customer, thanks to Intel’s planned factories in Arizona.

    Apple made headlines when it announced it would be transitioning its Mac platform to its own custom silicon, based on Arm designs. Previously, Apple used its own custom silicon in iPhone and iPads, but relied on Intel’s chips for its Mac computers.

    Unfortunately for Intel, the company was no longer able to meet Apple’s needs. Intel’s chips increasingly started falling behind rival AMD’s semiconductors, and failed to keep up with the power savings and performance Apple was able to achieve with its custom silicon.

    To make matters worse, Intel had some high-profile issues with quality control. In fact, according to former Intel engineer François Piednoël, at one point Apple was finding almost as many bugs in Intel’s chips as Intel’s own team — not a good way to convince a company to stay with your products.

    “The quality assurance of Skylake was more than a problem … It was abnormally bad,” said Piednoël. “We were getting way too much citing for little things inside Skylake. Basically our buddies at Apple became the number one filer of problems in the architecture. And that went really, really bad. When your customer starts finding almost as much bugs as you found yourself, you’re not leading into the right place.”

    Despite losing Apple, Gelsinger is intent on getting them back, if not as a customer of Intel’s in-house chips, then as a manufacturing customer.

    Intel’s new factories are being built in Arizona with the goal of challenging TSMC, the company Apple currently uses to manufacture its chips, and bring more semiconductor manufacturing to the US. As a result, Intel is positioning itself as an alternative manufacturing partner, giving companies like Apple, Qualcomm, Nokia and Microsoft another option and a way to diversify their supply chain.

    In an interview with Yahoo Finance, Gelsinger laid out his hope.

    Apple is a customer, and I hope to make them a big foundry customer because today they’re wholly dependent on Taiwan Semiconductor. We want to present great options for them to leverage our foundry services, as well, just like we’re working with Qualcomm and Microsoft to leverage our foundry. We’re going to be delivering great technology, some things that can’t be done anywhere else in the world.

    In an interview with BBC News, Gelsinger emphasized it wouldn’t be an easy sell, and Intel would have to demonstrate that it could successfully meet customers’ needs.

    Everybody wants multiple suppliers. So we think there’s very real potential. But I have to earn that business. I have to be able to go to my competitors and be able to say: “I want you to become my customer.”

    And that also includes Nvidia, Qualcomm and Broadcom, in addition to Microsoft and IBM. I want all of them to say: “I need more technology… and I trust that Intel is going to become one of my key suppliers.”

    And that includes Apple as one of the biggest users of advanced semiconductor capabilities.

    Gelsinger certainly doesn’t lack for ambition in his efforts to turn Intel’s fortunes around. It remains to be seen if he and Intel can deliver the goods.

  • Nokia Signs Five-Year Deal With AT&T For C-Band 5G Equipment

    Nokia Signs Five-Year Deal With AT&T For C-Band 5G Equipment

    Nokia has scored a big win, signing a five-year deal with AT&T to provide 5G equipment for the carrier’s C-Band spectrum rollout.

    AT&T recently spent $23,406,860,839 at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) auction for C-Band spectrum. C-Band is mid-band spectrum, ideal for 5G. The company has turned to Nokia for the equipment necessary to deploy its spectrum, signing a five-year deal.

    “AT&T is committed to bringing the power of 5G to businesses and communities across the nation, and our C-Band deployments with Nokia will help add 5G capacity where it’s needed,” said Igal Elbaz, Senior Vice President of Wireless and Access Technology AT&T. “Nokia has been our trusted collaborator for more than 20 years as we’ve rolled out each generation of wireless technology, and its C-Band portfolio brings the right capabilities to help enable AT&T to deliver an exciting and powerful 5G experience that our subscribers have come to expect from us.”

    “Nokia is ready to support the launch of 5G services into this valuable new spectrum on our customers’ timelines by leveraging our powerful portfolio of C-Band solutions and by being the first to demonstrate a live C-Band network in the U.S. in 2020,” said Ed Cholerton, President of Nokia North America. “Our flexible and comprehensive portfolio will enable AT&T to enhance its 5G services in areas across the nation.”

    Last year Nokia was considering a merger or asset sale, and more recently indicated it was facing “meaningful headwinds” in 2021. Earlier this week, the company announced it is cutting 10,000 jobs. The AT&T contract is a welcome win for Nokia, at a time when its needed most.

  • Huawei Looking at Patent Licensing to Stay In 5G Game

    Huawei Looking at Patent Licensing to Stay In 5G Game

    Huawei is turning to its portfolio of 5G patents in an effort to offset the losses its traditional 5G business has suffered.

    The Chinese firm has been under pressure around the world, as governments have banned the company from participating in their nation’s 5G networks. At the heart of the issue is Huawei’s perceived ties to the Chinese government, which many nations see as a threat to their national security.

    Huawei is now turning to other sources of revenue. The company is rumored to be looking into electric vehicle production, and recently sold its Honor smartphone line.

    The company is now looking to profit from its portfolio of 5G patents by licensing them to other companies. Along with Ericsson and Nokia, Huawei helped develop the 5G standard. As a result, the company has a broad portfolio of patents, especially in technologies that help interoperability between networks.

    Jason Ding, Head of Huawei’s Intellectual Property Rights Department, said, “Innovation has been at the core of Huawei’s business since the company was founded. Our 2020 white paper lists the number of patent applications Huawei filed, or our R&D and innovation activities, in the late 90s and early 2000s.” He also stated, “Huawei’s worldwide patent applications were on par with other industry leaders in the early 2000s, and Huawei’s success today is a result of its long-term investment in innovation and R&D.”

    According to Ding, Huawei estimates its patent business will generate between $1.2 and $1.3 billion between 2019 and 2021. The company is striving to charge a reasonable royalty rate per handset, capped at $2.50 per unit.

    “Huawei has been the largest technical contributor to 5G standards, and follows fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) principles when it comes to patent licensing,” added Ding, “we hope that the royalty rate we announced today will increase 5G adoption by giving 5G implementers a more transparent cost structure that will inform their investment decisions moving forward.”

  • Nokia Cutting 10,000 Jobs to Better Focus on 5G

    Nokia Cutting 10,000 Jobs to Better Focus on 5G

    Nokia has announced it is cutting 10,000 jobs worldwide, with plans to use the savings to help fund its 5G growth.

    Nokia is one of the main companies responsible for manufacturing telecommunication equipment. The company is at the center of the transition to 5G, along with Ericsson and Huawei.

    Ericsson and Nokia have both benefited from the worldwide challenges Huawei has faced, picking up 5G deployment contracts that would otherwise have gone to the Chinese firm. Unfortunately for Nokia, it has not had quite the success as Ericsson, even leading to considerations of a possible merger or asset sale last year. While there has not been any recent talk of such drastic measures, the company did warn at its last quarterly results that it faced “meaningful headwinds” in 2021.

    The company is now announcing plans to cut its worldwide workforce from 90,000 employees to an estimated 80,000 to 85,000 employees over the next 18-24 months.

    “Decisions that may have a potential impact on our employees are never taken lightly. Ensuring we have the right setup and capabilities is a necessary step to deliver sustainable long-term performance. My priority is to ensure that everyone impacted is supported through this process,” said Pekka Lundmark, President and CEO.

    The cost savings will be used to help fund the company’s R&D, specifically in 5G, cloud and digital infrastructure, as well as future business opportunities.

  • Nokia Partners With Big Three Cloud Providers for 5G Cloud Solutions

    Nokia Partners With Big Three Cloud Providers for 5G Cloud Solutions

    Nokia has announced partnerships with AWS, Microsoft and Google Cloud to develop 5G cloud solutions.

    The Finnish company made the separate announcements on Monday, partnering with each company to tackle different areas for 5G improvements.

    In the case of both AWS and Google Cloud, Nokia will be working on cloud-based 5G radio solutions. The partnerships will see Nokia work with both companies on Radio Access Network (RAN), Open RAN, Cloud RAN (vRAN) and edge technologies. Open RAN is designed to allow carriers to use interoperable hardware and software from multiple vendors, rather than being locked into vendor-specific solutions. Similarly, Cloud Ran allows carriers to manage their RAN functions using cloud computing principles and resources.

    “This collaboration with Nokia will extend the reach of our industry-leading cloud technology to support our Telco and enterprise customers,” said Dave Brown, Vice President, Amazon EC2, AWS. “We look forward to working closely on this collaboration and offer multiple deployment choices for customers to build 5G Cloud RAN and Open RAN solutions. Our customers will benefit from different options to run 5G RAN using AWS Outposts with either Intel or ARM-based CPU choices, or third-party bare metal servers while using Amazon EKS and EKS Anywhere. This will solve for the challenge of CI/CD, automation, and network orchestration by using a common framework of tools across Core and RAN.”

    Meanwhile, Nokia is partnering with Microsoft to integrate its Cloud RAN technology into Microsoft Azure. Nokia will include its 5G RAN with Azure 4G/5G to better support enterprise customers.

    “Microsoft believes in the importance of an open and interoperable ecosystem of solutions on the Azure carrier grade platform,” said Yousef Khalidi, Corporate Vice President, Azure for Operators at Microsoft Corp. “Our collaboration with Nokia across multiple potential use cases, based on specific customer demand, will provide operators with choices on how the best adopt cloud technology in concert with their 5G updates to drive new revenue streams, reduce cost and future proof their network investment.”

  • Nokia Expects ‘Meaningful Headwinds’ in 2021

    Nokia Expects ‘Meaningful Headwinds’ in 2021

    Nokia reported its quarterly results, while also warning the company is facing “meaningful headwinds” in 2021.

    The Finnish company reported Q4 revenue of 6.57 billion euros. While that beat estimates, it still represented a 5% decline from the previous year. The company did see increases in Enterprise net sales, as well as new partnerships with AT&T and Verizon. The company also announced a deal with the US government right after the quartered ended.

    Looking ahead, however, the Nokia warned that 2021 would present challenges for the company.

    “These are encouraging results, however, as I said in Q3, we expect 2021 to be challenging, a year of transition, with meaningful headwinds due to market share loss and price erosion in North America,” said Pekka Lundmark, President and CEO.

    “Additionally, as I said, delivering on our new operating model for a strong and sustainable long-term business requires us to make further 5G R&D investments in 2021, meaning we will sacrifice some short-term margin to ensure leadership in 5G.”

    Despite decreased competition from Huawei, Nokia has struggled to capitalize as effectively as Ericsson. The company’s woes even sparked talk of a possible merger or asset sale in early 2020.

    2021 may turn out to be a make-or-break year for the Finnish company.

  • Ericsson Beats Forecast On Strong 5G Demand

    Ericsson Beats Forecast On Strong 5G Demand

    Ericsson has reported its quarterly results, beating forecasts on increasing 5G demand.

    Ericsson is one of the main network equipment providers, and has been a leader in the 5G rollout around the world. The company is in a strong position, with Huawei being banned by multiple countries, and Nokia facing challenges in its efforts to be competitive.

    In its quarterly results, Ericsson reported 69.6 billion Swedish crowns, surpassing estimates of 68.35 billion crowns. In addition, the company’s gross margin increased to 40.6%, up from 36.8% a year ago.

    “Networks sales grew organically by 20%, reporting a gross margin of 43.5% (41.1%) for Q4,” said Börje Ekholm, President and CEO. “This reflects continued high activity levels in North America and North East Asia, and also in Europe where we further increased market share. Networks delivered an operating margin of 19% for full-year 2020 – well above the 15%-17% target. Investing in R&D is fundamental to our strategy. Since 2017 we have increased R&D investment by SEK 10 b. and delivered SEK 16 b. of improved operating income. Our growth during 2020 is built on a strong and competitive 5G portfolio.”

    While the company warned there may be exposure as a result of Sweden’s decision to exclude Huawei from its 5G network. China has never been shy about warning of retaliation against countries that exclude Huawei. Nonetheless, the company’s 180 markets should help insulate it.

  • Dish Network Utilizing Qualcomm For Its 5G Rollout

    Dish Network Utilizing Qualcomm For Its 5G Rollout

    Dish Network has announced it is using Qualcomm to help roll out its 5G network.

    Dish is moving ahead at warp speed to roll out a 5G network to compete with the three big carriers. The company received a big boost thanks to the T-Mobile/Sprint merger. In order to receive approval for their merger, the two companies had to sell some of their spectrum, as well as Sprint’s Boost Mobile, to Dish.

    Dish has been lining up deals with the major network equipment providers as it works on building the first O-RAN compliant 5G network. O-RAN (open-radio access network) is a specification that enables carriers to use components from multiple vendors, thanks to a common set of defined interfaces.

    In its latest move, Dish has tapped Qualcomm’s 5G RAN platform.

    “By further expanding its portfolio of 5G infrastructure solutions to include O-RAN specifications that are compliant with DISH’s open architecture and implementation, Qualcomm Technologies will enable greater flexibility in the deployment of our 5G vRAN equipment. With this move, Qualcomm Technologies will also enrich a diverse ecosystem of RAN applications by delivering data insights natively through the future chipset family. These insights are the foundation of our data-centric and fully-automated network architecture. We are pleased to see Qualcomm Technologies embracing O-RAN and virtualization, creating even more possibilities for the future of 5G across the industry,” said Marc Rouanne, DISH executive vice president and chief network officer.

    “We are excited about working with DISH to accelerate their strategy to bring flexible, scalable, and interoperable 5G deployments to a more competitive North American market. With our vast 5G portfolio, from smartphone to infrastructure, we are committed to supporting DISH’s network vendors and device partners to bring new capabilities to life, with standalone 5G and Vo5G across all DISH spectrum bands,” said Durga Malladi, senior vice president and general manager, 4G/5G, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

    Thanks to its adoption of O-RAN, Dish stands poised to build out a 5G network in record time. The move will help Dish diversify its business at a time when customers are dropping cable and satellite in favor of streaming options.

  • Dish Network and Intel Partner On 5G Rollout

    Dish Network and Intel Partner On 5G Rollout

    Dish Network has selected Intel for its 5G rollout, as the satellite company works to be the fourth nationwide carrier.

    As part of T-Mobile’s purchase of Sprint, the magenta carrier sold portions of its spectrum to Dish. T-Mobile also agreed to allow Dish to piggyback off of its network for several years. The government’s goal in requiring these concessions was to help create a viable nationwide carrier to help fill the void left by the T-Mobile/Sprint merger.

    Dish has been moving full-speed-ahead in its efforts to roll out its network, enlisting Nokia to provide the necessary software and now partnering with Intel to use its 5G infrastructure technology. Dish is attempting to create the nation’s first virtualized, O-RAN (open-radio access network), 5G network. O-RAN enables carriers to use equipment and hardware from multiple vendors, marrying the various components together using a set of defined interfaces.

    “Fully virtualized, cloud-native networks, like the one DISH is building, bring the same server economics that transformed the datacenter,” said Dan Rodriguez, corporate vice president and general manager of Intel’s Network Platforms Group. “We are excited to partner with DISH to lay the foundation for a truly agile network and have already begun working with our OEM partners who have designed FlexRAN-based servers to enable a variety of new innovative use cases and services.”

    As part of the partnership, the two companies are also working together to further the O-RAN standard.

  • Sweden Latest Country to Ban Huawei and ZTE

    Sweden Latest Country to Ban Huawei and ZTE

    Sweden has joined the list of countries that are banning Chinese firms Huawei and ZTE from participating in the country’s networks.

    Huawei was one of the world’s largest provider of telecommunications equipment, with carriers all over the globe relying on its technology. In recent years, however, there have been growing concerns that Huawei and ZTE represent a significant risk to other countries’ national security. Huawei has often been accused of being an extension of Beijing’s intelligence apparatus, a claim it has vehemently denied.

    The US, in particular, has waged a successful campaign to isolate Huawei, pressuring its allies to ban the firm from their networks. The UK, Australia and New Zealand have all implemented bans.

    Sweden is now the latest country to ban the two firms, citing the threat China poses. According to reports, wireless carriers bidding on 5G spectrum are prohibited from using the two companies. Even existing infrastructure must have any Huawei or ZTE gear removed if the infrastructure will be used for 5G.

    “China is one of the biggest threats to Sweden,” said Klas Friberg, the head of SAPO, Sweden’s domestic security service. “The Chinese state is conducting cyber espionage to promote its own economic development and develop its military capabilities. This is done through extensive intelligence gathering and theft of technology, research and development. This is what we must consider when building the 5G network of the future.”

    The move is another blow to Huawei, already reeling from existing bans and sanction, but will be a big win for Nokia and Ericsson.

  • Verizon and Nokia Partner On Private 5G For Businesses

    Verizon and Nokia Partner On Private 5G For Businesses

    Verizon and Nokia are working on private 5G networks, aimed at replacing WiFi networks for businesses.

    There are a number of advantages to 5G over traditional networks. The fastest variety of 5G, mmWave, offers speeds measured in gigabits. In addition, latency is often measured in single digits, or very low double digits. Verizon is also touting the security benefits, as a private 5G network eliminates the need to transmit data through public networks.

    “Today, we’ve announced the next phase of Verizon’s global 5G vision with the launch of private 5G for our international customers,” said Tami Erwin, CEO, Verizon Business. “If the past few months have taught us anything, it’s that there’s never been a more critical time for mobility, broadband and cloud products and services. Private 5G networks will be a transformative technology that will drive the new era of disruption and innovation for enterprises around the world.”

    The joint effort will initially target enterprises in Europe and Asia-Pacific, although it wouldn’t be surprising if it expands to the US once 5G gains more ground. The two companies clearly see 5G as a transformational technology, with implications far beyond the basic cellphone.

    “Private wireless connectivity has become central to many industries in realizing their long-term digital transformation goals. By delivering private 5G together with Verizon, we’re paving the way to accelerate digitalization for the most demanding industries who crave reliable wireless connectivity,” said Brian R. Fitzgerald, SVP Global Solutions at Nokia.

  • NASA Taps Nokia to Build Moon’s First 4G Network

    NASA Taps Nokia to Build Moon’s First 4G Network

    Huawei, Ericsson and Nokia may be fighting for network dominance on Earth, but in outer space Nokia is the clear winner.

    The Finnish company has announced a deal with NASA to provide the first 4G network on the moon. Communication on the moon is becoming an important issue as interest in lunar colonization grows. Many see colonizing the Moon as the first step toward colonizing Mars and other planets.

    “Leveraging our rich and successful history in space technologies, from pioneering satellite communication to discovering the cosmic microwave background radiation produced by the Big Bang, we are now building the first ever cellular communications network on the Moon,” said Marcus Weldon, Chief Technology Officer at Nokia and Nokia Bell Labs President. “Reliable, resilient and high-capacity communications networks will be key to supporting sustainable human presence on the lunar surface. By building the first high performance wireless network solution on the Moon, Nokia Bell Labs is once again planting the flag for pioneering innovation beyond the conventional limits.”

    Space exploration is increasingly big business, with transportation companies, cloud providers and now telecommunication companies all getting onboard. Providing the first lunar cellphone network is a big win for Nokia.

  • Dish Network Taps Nokia For 5G Network Software

    Dish Network Taps Nokia For 5G Network Software

    Dish Network has chosen Nokia for its 5G core network software as the satellite company rolls out its wireless network.

    Dish Network has been working to expand beyond its core satellite business to become a major wireless carrier. The company received a major boost due to the T-Mobile/Sprint merger. In order to assuage concerns from regulators, T-Mobile agreed to sell spectrum to Dish Network, and provide the company with several years of access to T-Mobile’s network. The goal was to create a fourth major carrier, essentially replacing the ailing Sprint post-merger.

    It appears Dish is moving full-steam-ahead in its efforts to roll out its network, and has tapped Nokia to provide the software for its standalone 5G network. The software will handle device management, subscriber data management, integration services, packet core, voice and core. Nokia’s software will also provide standalone 4G and 5G, as well as voice over WiFi access.

    “This is an important step in bringing to life DISH’s plans to deliver the first open, agile, virtualized 5G network in the U.S.,” said Marc Rouanne, DISH Chief Network Officer. “Nokia’s new release is cloud-native, standalone and ready for full automation, providing DISH the software capabilities required to deliver thousands of network slices with low latency and SLA on demand.”

    “The benefits of Nokia’s industry-leading, cloud-native standalone 5G Core products built on our proven Common Software Foundation — near-zero-touch automation capabilities, high-level operational efficiencies, scale and performance – continue to set us apart from the competition,” said Bhaskar Gorti, President of Nokia Software and Nokia Chief Digital Officer. “DISH has great ambition and we are both excited and laser-focused on helping them deliver on that.”

  • U.S. Cellular Turns to Nokia For mmWave 5G Equipment

    U.S. Cellular Turns to Nokia For mmWave 5G Equipment

    U.S. Cellular is working with Nokia to acquire the equipment needed for its 5G rollout.

    U.S. Cellular is the fourth largest wireless carrier in the US. Unlike T-Mobile, Verizon or AT&T, however, U.S. Cellular is a regional carrier. It currently operates in 23 states. Despite its regional status, the company is working to deploy mmWave 5G in its markets.

    mmWave is the fastest variety of 5G available, with speeds measured in gigabits. As such, it promises to be a revolutionary upgrade, upending what is normally possible with a cellular connection.

    U.S. Cellular is working with Nokia on its multi-year 5G deployment, with commercial availability beginning in 2021.

    “U.S. Cellular and Nokia are taking bold steps forward together in the realm of 5G modernization and connectivity,” said Mike Irizarry, CTO, U.S. Cellular. “With 5G mmWave technology from Nokia, we can provide our customers with the leading-edge capabilities of high performance, ultra-low latency 5G. By readying our network with these key foundational network elements, we can offer an even wider range of communications services that enhance our customers’ wireless experience.”

  • Ericsson Wins China Mobile Contract

    Ericsson Wins China Mobile Contract

    Ericsson has scored a big win, beating out Nokia for contracts with the world’s largest telecoms company, China Mobile.

    Ericsson, Nokia and Huawei are locked in a three-way battle for dominance in the 5G equipment market. Huawei is widely thought of as the market leader, although Ericsson has taken issue with that, touting its long history of being first with new technology and specifically 5G rollouts.

    In its latest win, Ericsson has scored a contract with China Mobile to provide 5G core (5GC) and radio access network (RAN) components.

    “Under the terms of this new deal, China Mobile extends its 5G RAN partnership with Ericsson to 17 provinces, with the deployment of Ericsson Radio System products and solutions, as it seeks to further roll out 5G services across the country,” reads the company’s announcement.

    “In addition, Ericsson will provide 5G core network equipment in two major regions, covering five provinces. The 5G Core network will be deployed on NFVI along with Ericsson Dynamic Orchestration. As part of a previous agreement, Ericsson is also providing Cloud VoLTE, Cloud Unified Data Management (UDM) and Policy.”

    The China Mobile contract is another feather in Ericsson’s cap, and will lend weight to the company’s assertion that it can compete with Huawei anywhere—including on the Chinese company’s home turf.