Reliance Jio, one of India's top carriers, and Nokia have struck a multi-year agreement for the delivery of 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) equipment, making Nokia the winner of yet another massive 5G contract in India.
The Finnish firm's AirScale portfolio will be supplied, which includes things like base stations, high-capacity 5G Massive MIMO antennas, Remote Radio Heads (RRH), and self-organizing network software.
Jio is planning to establish a separate 5G network that will be compatible with its existing 4G system. Over 420 million people use the service, and those who upgrade to 5G should see speeds up to 10 times faster than those now available on 4G.
As of today's announcement, contracts exist between Nokia and India's three main carriers to supply said carriers with said equipment (a deal with Vodafone Idea was announced in May, with Airtel in August).
Akash Ambani, Chairman Reliance Jio, commented:
“We are pleased to be working with Nokia for our 5G SA deployment in India. Jio is committed to continuously investing in the latest network technologies to enhance the experience of all of its customers. We are confident that our partnership with Nokia will deliver one of the most advanced 5G networks globally.”
Pekka Lundmark, President and CEO at Nokia stated:
“This is a significant win for Nokia in an important market and a new customer with one of the largest RAN footprints in the world. This ambitious project will introduce millions of people across India to premium 5G services, enabled by our industry-leading AirScale portfolio. We are proud that Reliance Jio has placed its trust in our technology and we look forward to a long and productive partnership with them.”
