Nokia has been selected by Taiwanese mobile operator Asia Pacific Telecom (APT) as the single vendor for 5G New Radio (NR). The deal also encompasses 5G core (non-standalone and standalone), security and monetisation. APT will deploy high-band 28 GHz mmWave in Taiwan to deliver the ultra-fast mobile broadband speeds expected in the 5G era.
The exclusive deal will see Nokia provide a number of its AirScale Radio Access solutions. These solutions will enable APT to deliver 5G experiences to subscribers with ultra-fast data speeds, ultra-low latency, and a new level of connectivity. AirScale Radio Access is a commercial end-to-end 5G solution enabling operators to capitalise early on 5G.
As part of the deal, APT will also deploy Nokia software spanning Core Network, monetisation and security. The cloud-native Cloud Mobile Gateway (CMG) and Cloud Mobility Manager (CMM) appliance solutions, from Nokia’s Cloud Packet Core (CPC) portfolio, will deliver a highly scalable and flexible Control/User Plane Separation (CUPS) architecture. The CPC cloud-native design also gives APT the capability to rapidly launch 5G services to its customers without making significant changes to the network.
Additional virtual network functions and applications to be deployed on Nokia CloudBand and NetAct will manage these along with the physical network elements. This will allow APT to shift its network and operations to cloud-native automated efficiency and to rapidly launch and monetise new 5G experiences and enterprise services. NetGuard Certificate Manager will, in turn, ensure efficient and secured management of digital entities.
Nokia will also provide its Nokia AirFrame data centre solution to support cloud-based applications necessary for future telco and IT networking and service delivery, and digital design and deployment for a faster time to market, as well as optimisation and technical support services.
APT plans to launch 5G services later this year and reportedly has ambitious plans to use the technology to develop Taiwan’s enterprise sector as well as introduce cloud gaming, virtual reality, augmented reality and streaming services to subscribers. Nokia will support APT in meeting its targets for 5G, targeting six vertical industries: smart manufacturing, smart retail, smart medical, smart transportation, smart entertainment, and smart energy. APT secured 400MHz in the 28 GHz frequency range but not mid-band spectrum and plans to work with other operators to share network in the 3.5 GHz frequency range in order to offer services in both bands.
Nokia is a long-standing partner of APT and already provides the majority of its 4G network.
Nanren Huang, president at Asia Pacific Telecom says: “APT has ambitious targets for its 5G services, including transforming the enterprise and consumer sectors in Taiwan with new and enhanced high-speed services. We are excited to continue our long-standing relationship with Nokia as we enter the 5G era and look forward to achieving our goals with them as our partner.”
Tommi Uitto, president of Mobile Networks at Nokia, comments: “This is another important win for us in Taiwan with a long-standing partner. APT is pioneering the implementation of high-band 5G at 28 GHz mmWave in the region with Nokia as its sole supplier. We look forward to helping APT execute its strategy and deliver compelling and transformative experiences, using Nokia’s end-to-end 5G solution to business and consumers alike.”
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by Anasia D'mello, Khareem Sudlow
