SoftBank Corp. selects Nokia for 5G

Japanese technology company SoftBank Corp., has selected Nokia as a strategic partner to drive its commercial 5G offering with the Nokia AirScale solution. The rollout of Nokia's 5G AirScale will allow the telco to meet growing consumer and industrial demands for 5G. As an existing supplier of multiple technologies to SoftBank, Nokia's selection for 5G Radio simply re-enforces an already strong relationship between the two companies, as SoftBank turn to Nokia's end to end portfolio for 5G. Nokia's 5G AirScale supports multiple frequencies, in both distributed and centralised architectures, giving SoftBank flexibility in its network evolution. Nokia's 5G AirScale will be deployed across Japan. The 5G investment will benefit consumers by bringing them a 5G enhanced Mobile BroadBand (eMBB) service, with 5G Ultra Reliable Low Latency Connectivity (URLLC) and enhanced Machine Type Communication (eMTC) enabling multiple new applications and services for industries in the 5G era. "We are delighted to continue our long-term relationship with SoftBank and to be working with them as a trusted end to end partner at such an important milestone in the transformation to 5G. We are committed to help SoftBank launch their commercial 5G network," John Harrington, Head of Nokia Japan, says in a press release Nokia now has 38 5G commercial contracts, including 20 with named customers.