Nokia has signed a contract to deliver 5G network equipment to BT, making Nokia BT's largest infrastructure partner. The contract supports BT's commitment to the UK government around the use of High Risk Vendors (HRVs) in network infrastructure, which resulted in the ban of Chinese technology company Huawei.
The selection of Nokia as a 5G RAN vendor will see it provide equipment and services at BT radio sites across the UK. The deal extends a long-term partnership between the companies. BT's Nokia-powered network currently covers Greater London, the Midlands and rural locations, and will now be extended to cover multiple towns and cities nationwide.
Nokia will supply its AirScale Single RAN (S-RAN) portfolio for outdoor and indoor coverage, including 5G RAN, AirScale radio access products and AirScale base stations. The contract will also see Nokia optimise BT's 5G and 2G networks, and help BT develop the OpenRAN ecosystem. BT will also use Nokia Software's ng-SDM and NetAct network management platform as part of its network transformation, with Nokia also providing its Cell Site Gateway product for backhaul connectivity. It will also supply BT with digital design and deployment, as well as optimisation and technical support services.
The other UK towns and cities to be covered by the Nokia-powered network include York, Torbay, Swindon, Stoke-on-Trent, Southampton, Plymouth, Peterborough, Norwich, Northampton, Newbury, Lincoln, Ipswich, Hull, Grimsby, Exeter, Dundee, Chesterfield, Cheltenham-Gloucester, Carlisle, Cambridge, Brighton, Bournemouth and Aberdeen.
