Nokia
has announced that it has won a new three-year deal with Virgin Media O2 to
supply Radio Access Network (RAN) equipment from its market-leading AirScale
portfolio, continuing the long-standing partnership that exists between the two
companies.
The
deal will see the operator invest in 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G networks, supporting
Virgin Media O2's continued efforts to deliver a best-in-class network
experience to its customers with increased reliability, performance, and
capacity. The agreement covers the Southern parts of the United Kingdom including
London.
Nokia
will supply Virgin Media O2 with its latest generation of Habrok massive MIMO
radios and AirScale Baseband and Interleaved Passive Active Antennas (IPAA),
both powered by its new energy-efficient generation of ReefShark System-on-Chip
(SoC) technology. This will bring enhanced 5G performance to O2 customers while
increasing energy efficiency. The equipment uses 30 percent less energy and
provides a 40 percent reduction in weight and volume, helping minimize the
impact of on-site infrastructure and accelerating network deployment.
Nokia
will also supply its Single RAN solution that enables one base station to run
5G, 4G, 3G, and 2G technologies simultaneously. This will help enable Virgin
Media O2 to accelerate its 5G coverage rollout. Virgin Media O2 will also use
Nokia's NetAct network management system to enable a consolidated network view
for improved network monitoring and management. Nokia will also provide digital
design and deployment as well as optimization and technical support services.
As
part of the deal, Virgin Media O2 has the option to launch a pilot of Nokia's
commercial intelligent controller to demonstrate the promise of advanced 5G use
cases. The agreement also means that Virgin Media O2 may pilot 5G Cloud RAN in
the future, enhancing the potential of existing cloud infrastructure with 5G
wireless connectivity.
Nokia
will also provide its Digital Operations Center to manage the design,
deployment, and assurance of services across different network domains. This
includes an innovative solution that supports network modernization while
ensuring the security of the network.
Jeanie York, Chief Technology Officer at Virgin
Media O2, commented: "We continue to invest in our network upgrading and
expanding our 4G and 5G networks to customers across the country. This is
delivering superior connected experiences and supporting the UK's digital
transformation that will drive long-term growth. Continuing our partnership
with Nokia will help us to deliver even better 5G with higher speeds and lower
latency, as well as ensuring we are set up for future growth in line with our
customers' ever-evolving demands and needs."
Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia,
said: "Virgin Media O2 is a
long-standing partner of over twenty years and this new deal is a testament to
their continued trust in our technology leadership. This extended deal will see
even more people benefit from enhanced mobile connectivity delivered by our
latest generation of AirScale solutions that will help build the foundations
for the United Kingdom's digital transformation."