Vodafone and Nokia to be partners for 5G rollout
Vodafone has formed a partnership with Nokia as it prepares to start the rollout of its 5G network.
Vodafone has announced it will team up with Nokia for the rollout of its national 5G network.
The partnership, set to last at least five years from the first half of 2020, will deliver the telco’s first 5G coverage to sites in and around Sydney’s Parramatta in the coming months.
Nokia, which will be the network vendor, has already built a test network in western Sydney to demonstrate its 5G technology.
It comes as Vodafone awaits a Federal Court decision on its mooted $15bn mega-merger with TPG Telecom, which was struck down by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
Vodafone CEO Inaki Berroeta said the partnership with Nokia was an “exciting milestone” that would fast-track its 5G rollout and enable a “seamless transition” for customers.
“We have worked with Nokia for several years across different elements of our network,” he said.
“They presented a compelling road map that aligned with our 5G objectives and will help us to continue improving our 4G network for our customers.”
The implementation plan will allow 5G for all spectrum bands currently in use for 4G, and the set up of new-generation 5G “Massive MIMO” antennas.
Vodafone will also be able to place orders with Nokia for site delivery, with the contract time frame allowing it to scale up or down the pace of its rollout plan.
Nokia’s president of customer operations for EMEA and APAC, Federico Guillén, said the company has been preparing for the evolution of 5G, which is starting to become more widely available.
“We started our 5G journey with Vodafone in 2016 and are now moving from trials to reality,” he said.
“Nokia’s end-to-end portfolio has a key role to play here, with this deal including 5G radio access network (RAN), IP/Optical, Microwave, deployment and managed services, as well as software.”
Mr Berroeta said the partnership with Nokia was the final step in a long process following the security guidance given by the federal government in August 2018.
Australia expanded its national security rules to exclude telecommunication equipment suppliers that it believes have ties to foreign governments, in a move that blocked Huawei from participating in the 5G rollout.
Nokia has been a beneficiary of restrictions in Western nations on market access to Huawei over allegations that China could use its equipment for espionage, a charge Huawei has repeatedly denied.
Most recently, Spark New Zealand abandoned plans to rely on Huawei exclusively for the rollout of 5G services, choosing the 5G rollout with Nokia instead.
Meanwhile Telstra, which began rolling out its 5G network earlier this year, has now reached over 30 different locations.
With installations to date all in the eastern states, Telstra is planning sites for Western Australia and South Australia in 2020. In the past month, six towers have also been built in Dubbo, with two more planned.
Optus has begun rolling out 5G coverage across most states and territories, except for Tasmania and Northern Territory, according to its coverage map.
Additional reporting: Reuters
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