Nokia and Deutsche Telekom AG (DT) have begun deployment of a multi-vendor open radio access network (Open RAN) network with Fujitsu in Germany.
The move comes after AT&T committed to using Ericsson equipment for its Open RAN deployments. The move severed much of its ties to Nokia although AT&T will continue to use Nokia for some of its equipment use.
Initial deployment will be in the Neubrandenburg area of Northern Germany where the Open RAN technology will be integrated into DT’s live commercial network to provide 2G, 4G and 5G commercial services. The project is currently being implemented and will be extended into the first quarter of next year moving forward.
Nokia’s 5G AirScale baseband solution will be integrated into DT’s commercial network that includes Fujitsu radio units. Nokia’s Open RAN solution will allow for DT’s network to be a full feature, service and performance offering and both companies will also explore how the technology can be used around Cloud RAN, third party CaaS, RIC, SMO and energy efficiency.
Nokia’s strategy with Open RAN is to work to build future-ready radio access networks together with an ecosystem of partners that can unlock collaborative advantages. Called anyRAN, the technology allows mobile operators and enterprises to build networks with flexibility.
