ANTEL and Nokia make the first 5G call on a commercial network in Latin America

• Nokia provides ANTEL 5G radio network, optical transport, professional and support services
• ANTEL and Nokia made the first 5G call in Uruguay using the 28 GHz frequency band
• Demonstrates the low latency capabilities of 5G using a virtual-reality sports application

Nokia and ANTEL, the Uruguayan state owned operator, successfully completed the installation of the first 5G commercial network in Latin America. This network deployment started in the Barra de Manantiales area, Maldonado Department, where the first 5G base stations are operational and ready to provide services. ANTEL showed the ultra-low latencies and high speeds of 5G to local authorities and press at a launch event, using a virtual-reality sports application called "penalty kick".

5G technology will allow high capability in terms of connectivity for massive numbers of IoT devices, speeds exceeding gigabits per second, as well as immediate response times due to its ultra-low latency.

Nokia and ANTEL have a long and important partnership in delivering mobile, IP and optical services to the Uruguayan market. They continue to work closely together in delivering the full commercial deployment of the 5G radio network. Nokia's services expertise plays a key role in deploying 5G networks and the team worked closely with the ANTEL team to deliver this demonstration for Uruguay.

Andrés Tolosa, President of ANTEL, said: "We are very proud to be the first operator in Latin America to set a 5G network into commercial service. This milestone is in line with our strong commitment to the development of the industrial and entertainment sectors as well as a great impulse to application development. We are a worldwide reference in FTTH networks and pioneers in providing our subscribers with state-of-the-art mobile networks. This great step towards 5G, with Nokia's support, enhances our technological ecosystem. Once again, we confirm our technological leadership in the region."

Osvaldo Di Campli, Head of Latin America for Nokia, said: "5G is an exciting opportunity for growth and to introduce new services and we are pleased to work with ANTEL on their 5G  commercial deployment. This clearly underscores Nokia's end-to-end experience in 5G and we look forward to supporting ANTEL as they continue to innovate with new services."

Source: Nokia media announcement