By Finish Telecommunication firm Nokia has secured a deal to supply 5G network equipment to British Telecommunication holding company (BT), in a move that will help the mobile provider phase out Huawei kit.
Nokia will supply its 5G radio access network (RAN) technology becoming BT’s largest infrastructure partner.
The deal will see BT’s Nokia-powered network extended to “multiple” other towns and cities across the UK. BT, which owns mobile provider (Everything and Everywhere) EE, already uses Nokia kit in Greater London, the Midlands, and other rural locations.
In July the United Kingdom government banned UK telecoms from buying new Huawei 5G kit from 2021 in a major U-turn. Mobile providers must also remove all existing Huawei technology from their networks by 2027.
The government of United Kingdom has classed Huawei as a “high-risk vendor” due to the company’s close ties to the Chinese state, which critics say make it a security threat. Huawei has consistently denied these allegations.
Nokia will supply its AirScale Single Ran portfolio to BT. RAN equipment is located in towers to beam signals between the network provider and customer mobile devices. The deal will mean Nokia provides around two-thirds of BT’s RAN equipment, the BBC reports.
BT will also use Nokia kit for EE’s 2G and 4G networks.
Nokia and BT will also work together on developing an OpenRAN ecosystem, an approach where telecommunication equipment is interoperable so that multiple providers can supply specific parts rather than the entire technology stack.
“In a fast-moving and competitive market, it’s critical we make the right technology choices,” said Philip Jansen, CEO, BT Group.
“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.”
Pekka Lundmark, president and CEO, Nokia, 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.
EE (Formerly Everything Everywhere) is a British mobile network operator and internet service provider ,which is a brand with the British Telecommunication Holding company.
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