Nokia fully digitises customer 5G deployments

(Image credit: Nokia)

Every 5G network powered by Nokia’s equipment has now been entirely digitised, simplifying management and accelerating rollouts for operators.

Nokia is locked in a fiercely contested battle with other Network Equipment Providers (NEPs) and to win customers, the Finnish mobile giant is pitching itself as a ‘one-stop-shop’ for telcos and enterprises thanks to a portfolio extends across the radio, transport and core layers of the network.

Central to its proposition is its software capabilities that enable automation and allow for more efficient, remote network management. For example, it recently issued a software upgrade to its AirScale radio platform that allowed customers to repurpose 4G radio gear for 5G.

Network digitisation

When it comes to network planning and maintenance, Nokia argues the combination of digitisation and automation can not only speed up rollouts, but also make them more efficient and cost-effective. This makes it easier to rollout new services, drive revenues and increase the return on investment.

For example, drone-led site surveys ensure builds are right at the first time, while digital databases and workflow orchestration platforms enable faster maintenance and upgrades. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is also providing powerful capabilities such automated defect detection.

Nokia says its digital tools have reduced site visits and back office transactions by 30 per cent, and improves installation quality – something which has a knock on effect for the entire network.

“Today, many operators suffer from a fragmented way in how their next-gen 5G networks are designed, built and managed,” said Sanjay Goel, President of Global Services at Nokia.

“The adoption of automation, AI and the digitalization of assets are vital steps in a CSP’s digital transformation journey to capture the full potential of 5G. We are extremely proud to be the first to have reached this milestone of 100 percent digital deployments so customers around the world can benefit from a faster, more sustainable and higher quality network deployment process.”

Separately, Nokia has updated its Digital Automation Cloud (DAC) private wireless networking platform. Nokia has added new VoIP capabilities and integraions to the service, most notably to Microsoft Azure IoT. 

 

Steve McCaskill is TechRadar Pro's resident mobile industry expert, covering all aspects of the UK and global news, from operators to service providers and everything in between. He is a former editor of Silicon UK and journalist with over a decade's experience in the technology industry, writing about technology, in particular, telecoms, mobile and sports tech, sports, video games and media.