Nokia extends 5G installed base with Taiwan Star Telecom expansion deal

Espoo, Finland – Nokia today announced that it has been selected by Taiwan Star Telecom (TST) to extend its 5G footprint across the country. Nokia is a long-term partner of TST and will provide equipment from its latest 5G AirScale portfolio which will support TST’s 5G standalone (SA) network with seamless integration and a fast deployment time.

Nokia will supply equipment from its comprehensive AirScale portfolio to meet a variety of deployment scenarios. This includes its enhanced, next-generation AirScale Indoor (ASiR) system for retail and office environments. The compact, flexible indoor system is designed to simply and seamlessly upgrade to 5G NR via plug-and-play with minimal on-site work.

TST will also utilize the EN-DC functionality available on Nokia’s AirScale radios. EN-DC allows devices to connect simultaneously to 5G and LTE networks, transmitting and receiving data across both air-interface technologies. This means devices can achieve a higher throughput than when connecting to 5G or LTE alone. TST’s 5G SA network enables the full potential of 5G unlocking new services such as Voice over 5G New Radio (VoNR) for enhanced call services. Nokia’s 5G portfolio ensures a simple migration path and a fast deployment for TST to support its requirements.

TST launched 5G services last summer utilizing the 40 MHz of bandwidth in the 3.5GHz band it had previously secured. Early deployment saw 80 percent covered in densely populated areas last year with 100 percent in Taiwan expected to be covered by 2023. TST’s 5G subscriptions reached 5 percent of its total mobile users last year with a target of reaching 20 percent by the end of this year. TST is a growing brand in a competitive market. The network expansion is crucial to providing better coverage and performance to their 5G subscribers and increase market share.

Cliff Lai, President of Taiwan Star Telecom said: “It is imperative that our customers receive the best possible 5G services in terms of performance and coverage. Our continuing partnership with Nokia will see us expand and enhance our 5G offering ensuring they receive best-in-class experiences.”

Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks, Nokia, said: “We are delighted to continue our journey with Taiwan Star Telecom as their 5G vendor. This is an important project that will see us support their expanded delivery of 5G services to even more areas across the country.”