Telia Company announces strategic partnership with Nokia to deploy 5G in Finland

Wed, Oct 21, 2020 07:00 CET

Telia Company today enters into a five-year agreement with Nokia, bringing together two of the Nordic region’s wireless pioneers in order to strengthen Finland’s digital infrastructure and deliver superior 5G network experiences to Telia’s customers. ** **Telia will also implement Nokia’s SA 5G Core solution across all its Nordic and Baltic markets.

The agreement primarily focuses on Finland, where Nokia will deliver radio access network technology (RAN) to base stations to modernize Telia’s 4G network and upgrade it to 5G. Telia Company will also implement the new Nokia SA 5G Core solution – the brain of a mobile network - in all its markets, providing customers with entirely new capabilities over time.

Allison Kirkby, President and CEO of Telia Company, says:

“ Our networks have never been more important and are the foundation of a thriving digital economy . Nokia is our sole supplier of 5G standalone core in all markets and of radio network technology in Finland. We share a long history of close collaboration with Nokia, particularly in Finland, and I look forward to continuing this partnership by delivering the best network for our subscribers.”

Pekka Lundmark, President and CEO of Nokia, says:

“We are delighted to extend our long-standing partnership with Telia Company. For over half a century, we have worked with Telia to deliver best-in-class connectivity - now that continues into the 5G era, as we supply Telia's RAN technology in Finland and its core 5G network across the Nordic and Baltic nations. I look forward to continuing our close collaboration with Telia for years to come.”

The continuing partnership with Nokia will pave the way for smarter ways of working and more efficient and sustainable network operations. The 5G network now being deployed by Telia in Finland is much more energy efficient than previous generations and is powered by 100 percent renewable electricity. The network is easy to upgrade and service, with less complexity and at a lower cost. Customers and society will benefit as Telia will now be able to bring better digital experiences to markets more quickly.

Telia opened the first pre-commercial 5G networks in Helsinki, Vantaa and Oulu in Finland in September 2018 together with Nokia. The commercial network was opened at the beginning of 2019, and the accelerated roll-out has continued to 42 cities in Finland, with a population coverage to date of over 25%. The two companies have also collaborated around live 5G trials in manufacturing and virtual reality matches in soccer and are now bringing broadband to more people with 5G Fixed Wireless Access.

The new Nokia SA 5G Core solution will enable Telia to offer new services and experiences, like connecting critical assets in factories that require extremely low latency or providing ultra-high-speed broadband in densely populated areas like urban centers or sports stadiums.

Telia Company launched its first public 5G network in Finland in 2019, followed by Norway and Sweden earlier this year with Denmark set to launch later this fall. For more information on the deployment of 5G in Telia Company – see here .