5G: Nokia Wins Multi-Year Deal From Jio To Build Mega Network

Nokia CEO Pekka Lundmark said, "This ambitious project will introduce millions of people across India to premium 5G services, enabled by our industry-leading AirScale portfolio."

Jio's 5G network has shown a top median download speed of close to 600 Mbps.

Source : Getty

New Delhi: Nokia on Monday said it has won a multi-year deal from Indian telecom operator Reliance Jio to build one of the largest 5G networks in the world. Under the contract, Nokia will supply equipment from its AirScale portfolio, including base stations, high-capacity 5G Massive MIMO (multiple input multiple output) antennas, and Remote Radio Heads (RRH) to support different spectrum bands, and self-organising network software.

Reliance Jio plans to deploy a 5G standalone network which will interwork with its 4G network. The network will enable Jio to deliver advanced 5G services such as massive machine-to-machine communications, network slicing, and ultra-low latency.

"Nokia today announced that it has been selected as a major supplier by Reliance Jio to supply 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) equipment from its comprehensive AirScale portfolio countrywide in a multi-year deal," a release said.

Reliance Jio Chairman Akash Ambani said, “Jio is committed to continuously investing in the latest network technologies to enhance the experience of all of its customers. We are confident that our partnership with Nokia will deliver one of the most advanced 5G networks globally.” Pekka Lundmark, President and CEO of Nokia termed the deal a "significant win" in an important market.

"This ambitious project will introduce millions of people across India to premium 5G services, enabled by our industry-leading AirScale portfolio. We are proud that Reliance Jio has placed its trust in our technology and we look forward to a long and productive partnership with them," Lundmark said.

Nokia has a long-standing presence in India. With this deal, Nokia will be a supplier to India's three largest mobile operators.

Meanwhile, Jio's 5G network has shown a top median download speed of close to 600 Mbps, while Airtel's network has posted a top speed of about 516 Mbps, broadband speed research firm Ookla said in a report.

The report, based on the data collected from Speedtest Intelligence, showed 5G speed variation between low double-digits (16.27 Mbps) to 809.94 Mbps, which the firm said is an indication of ongoing network calibration for the 5G service. While the 5G services were officially launched on October 1, Ookla has taken measurements since June 2022.

"In Delhi, Airtel reached nearly 200 Mbps median download speed at 197.98 Mbps while Jio almost broke 600 Mbps (598.58 Mbps) in June 2022," the report said.

This means a two-hour high definition movie which is generally around 6 GB file size can be downloaded in 1 minute 25 seconds and a 4K movie in about 3 minutes at a top speed of 600 Mbps.

Bharti Airtel has started rolling out 5G services in eight cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Siliguri, Nagpur and Varanasi. Jio has started beta trials in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Varanasi.

(With inputs from agencies)