Nokia won a $1.17 billion deal with China Mobile to provide an array of equipment, software, and services. During the one-year contract, Nokia is providing China Mobile with technologies including mobile radio access, fixed access, IP routing, and optical transport. Nokia is also providing customer experience management software as well as operational support and services.
“Some of our 5G gear is indeed included, like our AirScale radio access solution,” said a Nokia spokesperson in an email to SDxCentral.
The contract with China Mobile goes through December 2018. “Some deliveries have already been done,” said the spokesperson, citing the announcement last week that the companies are setting up a joint artificial intelligence (AI)/5G lab in China.
The two companies are working closely to define the products and services that will enable the operator to tap new opportunities in vertical markets. In China, Nokia works through its Chinese joint venture — Nokia Shanghai Bell.
China Mobile is trialing 5G in five cities this year, using equipment from multiple vendors including Ericsson, Huawei, and ZTE, along with Nokia.
And earlier this year, Nokia said it was included in a multi-vendor deal in which China Mobile is building an integrated IP/optical transport network for a 13-city metro area and two provincial backbone networks.