Nokia seals strategic 5G RAN deal with T-Mobile US

T-Mobile US has undertaken a significant multi-year extension of its strategic partnership with Nokia to enhance and expand its 5G network coverage and capacity across the country.

T-Mobile claims its mobile infrastructure already reaches more than 98% of the US population, and regards its collaboration with Nokia as demonstrating its commitment to further extending 5G capabilities, advancing the capabilities of the network by deploying next-generation baseband and radio technologies.

The operator’s long-standing partner in RAN, Nokia says its advanced services and T-Mobile’s Challenger to Champion strategic initiatives have helped the provider become America’s largest, fastest and most awarded 5G network, covering more than 332 million people across two million square miles.

Under the terms of the expansion agreement, Nokia will supply T-Mobile with hardware, software, maintenance and support services. Specific technologies include the AirScale Radio Access Network (RAN) portfolio, which includes its latest-generation Habrok Massive MIMO and Levante Ultra-Performance baseband offerings. These are powered by its ReefShark System-on-Chip technology, designed for energy efficiency, and will boost T-Mobile’s 5G network for maximum performance, efficiency and reliability. Nokia will also deploy its AI-powered MantaRay Self-Organising Networks (SON) and AutoPilot, another SON service for optimisation and automation.

Nokia also believes its collaboration can advance T-Mobile’s network evolution by using next-generation RAN architectures that it claims will enhance agility, scalability and operational efficiency. In addition, Nokia will continue to support T-Mobile’s artificial intelligence-based radio access network (AI-RAN) initiatives, including the ongoing technology partnership at T-Mobile’s AI-RAN Innovation Centre, launched in 2024.

The innovation centre aims to foster the development of new products that use 5G connectivity and T-Mobile partner technologies to enable next-generation offerings. It’s also dedicated to integrating AI into RAN to revolutionise network experiences and deliver stronger business outcomes.

The centre offers access to network including 5G, edge compute resources, network slicing and private network installations. There is also technical expertise and support from engineers who T-Mobile says are ready to help develop 5G services and integrate the latest in wireless capabilities.

Explaining how he thinks the partnership will benefit the operator, T-Mobile president of technology Ulf Ewaldsson said: “T-Mobile’s nationwide standalone 5G network has solidified our global leadership by delivering tangible benefits to our customers. This new agreement with Nokia will further enhance our current network capabilities as we strengthen our journey supercharged with 5G Advanced, laying a robust foundation for future innovation.”

Nokia president and CEO Justin Hotard added: ‘This new agreement strengthens our deep partnership with T-Mobile US and extends their leadership in delivering next-generation connectivity across the US. By implementing Nokia’s latest AirScale RAN innovations, along with advanced virtualised and AI-RAN-based solutions, T-Mobile will unlock premium 5G performance for their customers. I’m excited to continue our partnership to shape the next chapter of mobile connectivity in the US.”