Nokia to Supply 5G Equipment to NTT DOCOMO in Support of Launch of Commercial 5G Service

• Further enhancement for NTT DOCOMO's existing base station baseband units and integration of Nokia's 3GPP-compliant 5G New Radio-based hardware into NTT DOCOMO's network to enable smooth evolution for NTT DOCOMO from 4G/LTE to 5G
• Agreement builds on long-term collaboration between Nokia and NTT DOCOMO, in order for the operator to aim to have 5G mobile service operational by 2020

Nokia has signed an agreement with NTT DOCOMO, Japan's largest mobile operator, to supply 5G baseband products for aiming to deploy in a 5G mobile network planned to be in commercial service by 2020.

Nokia will support NTT DOCOMO's commercial 5G operation in Japan by further enhancing existing baseband units and integrating its 5G New Radio (5G NR)-based* AirScale hardware in the network, which will provide NTT DOCOMO's mobile customers with a unique experience fueled by 5G's extreme high speed, superior capacity and ultra-low latency. With NTT DOCOMO looking to get its 5G commercial service by 2020, Nokia's solution will provide a natural evolution to existing 4G/LTE deployments and also successful integration  into the existing operational environment.

Nokia has enjoyed a long-term working relationship with Japan's largest operator that has produced supply agreements for 3G and 4G/LTE networking technology. The two companies have also worked closely together in trials of 5G technologies, and now agree on supply of Nokia's 5G BBUs to be able to do centralized management for 5G RRHs (remote radio heads) for aiming to deploy in 5G network. This is aligned with NTT DOCOMO's 5G direction, which is fully utilizing existing C-RAN architecture for 5G. Based on the agreement, Nokia will support NTT DOCOMO in the evolution of its network from 4G/LTE to 5G, providing technology based on the new 3GPP-compliant 5G NR standard, the first stage of which was published shortly before the end of 2017.

Hiroshi Nakamura, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, NTT DOCOMO said: "We have been collaborating with partners such as Nokia on various 5G technology and use case trials since 2014. With this agreement with Nokia, we are now proceeding to the next step to launch 5G mobile services by 2020, and accelerate co-creation of new services and businesses with vertical industry partners."

Marc Rouanne, president of Mobile Networks at Nokia, said: "The agreement with NTT DOCOMO is a major milestone in bringing 5G to commercial reality, especially in a country with a long and proud history of technological achievements and early technology adoption. Together we have worked hard in recent months to commence preparations for NTT DOCOMO's eventual launch of its operational 5G service by 2020, which we have now set in motion by this very exciting announcement today."

Nokia 5G

Nokia is a world leader in the development of 5G, the next-generation wireless technology that will enable a whole range of new services, from enhanced mobile broadband to advanced automation in industry. Via its 5G-ready hardware and software products, Nokia is at the forefront of making 5G a commercial reality.

 Source: Nokia media announcement

*Nokia is fully focused on applying the 3GPP-compliant 5G New Radio standard, and is involved in more than 50 customer trials of the technology around the world, ahead of expected commercial launches between 2019 and 2020. Nokia is also active within the broad industry ecosystem, working closely with chipset and device manufacturers alike, as well as working with all initial 5G frequency bands, including 3.5GHz, mmwave bands, 28GHz, and 39GHz.