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(Alliance News) - Finnish telecommunications equipment firm Nokia Corp on Tuesday said it has extended its strategic relationship with BT Group PLC into the 5G arena and will become the UK firm's largest equipment provider.
Under the deal, Nokia will provide equipment and services at BT radio sites in the UK to help evolve the telecommunications company's radio access network to 5G.
Nokia already powers BT's network in areas such as Greater London, the Midlands and rural locations, but this will extend to cover multiple cities and towns across the UK.
Nokia is to supply its AirScale Single RAN portfolio to provide indoor and outdoor coverage, including 5G RAN, AirScale base stations and Nokia AirScale radio access products. It will also optimise BT's 2G and 4G networks as well as helping BT in developing its OpenRAN ecosystem.
Finally, Nokia is also providing digital design and deployment to assist in a faster time to market as well as optimisation and technical support services.
BT Chief Executive Philip Jansen said: "Digital connectivity is critical to the UK's economic future, creating jobs and underpinning sustainable growth. That's why BT is making game-changing investments in full fibre and 5G. In a fast-moving and competitive market, it's critical we make the right technology choices. With this next stage of our successful relationship with Nokia we will continue to lead the rollout of fixed and mobile networks to deliver stand-out experiences for customers."
Nokia CEO Pekka Lundmark said: "I am delighted that BT has extended its partnership with Nokia on 5G RAN, making Nokia BT's largest infrastructure partner. Our two companies have collaborated for over a quarter of a century in order to deliver best-in-class connectivity to people across the United Kingdom. We are proud to support BT's 5G network evolution and look forward to working even more closely together in the years to come."
Shares in Nokia were up 1.3% at EUR3.36 in Helsinki on Tuesday, while BT's shares were down 0.9% at 99.40 pence in London.
By Anna Farley; annafarley@alliancenews.com
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