Nokia has successfully secured a four-year extension contract with Finnish telecom operator Elisa. This agreement involves upgrading the company’s mobile networks in both Finland and Estonia. The focus of this upgrade is to enhance network capacity, provide wider coverage, and achieve faster speeds. This modernization paves the way for the 5G Advanced era, which promises ultra-fast speeds and minimal latency necessary for applications involving artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and industrial automation.
The deployment will see Nokia incorporating its energy-efficient AirScale Radio Access Network (RAN) portfolio. This supports Elisa’s mission to deliver premium 5G services. The contract outlines the supply of the latest generation of Advanced 5G-ready Habrok 32 Massive MIMO radios and the Pandion portfolio of remote radio heads. These components will provide extensive coverage across diverse deployment scenarios. The vendor’s newly included technologies, Tuuli 26e and Ponente, Lodos, and Levante AirScale baseband solutions, along with its ReefShark System-on-Chip technology, power the portfolio.
Sami Komulainen, Chief Operating Officer at Elisa, enthused about the partnership: “We are investing in new 5.5G features that enhance AI usage in phones, computers, and businesses. The world’s first customers are already using 5.5G in Elisa’s network, and together with Nokia, we are expanding access to this technology.”
Beyond enhancing RAN capabilities, Nokia is also introducing its new AirScale Dual Boost base station technology. This innovation promises to maximize the potential of base station assets, ensuring the telco obtains superior value from its infrastructure.
The contract extension further solidifies Nokia’s commitment to taking Elisa’s 5G network to the next level. Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia, stated: “This important contract extension with Elisa will take their 5G network to the next level, delivering ultra-fast speeds and low-latency with our latest Advanced 5G capable AirScale portfolio. The Advanced 5G era will drive innovation in industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, and energy, creating new jobs and economic opportunities.”
Moreover, the integration of Nokia’s cloud-native voice core solution, Cloud Native Communication Suite (CNCS), will play a crucial role. It will streamline the deployment of new 5G services and improve operational efficiency, particularly in reducing energy demands and hardware requirements.
