Under the deal, Nokia will supply its massive MIMO antenna solutions, macro remote radio heads and AirScale baseband equipment to enable AT&T in deploying C-band networks in parts of the U.S.
Nokia said its C-band RAN technology will work in conjunction with existing Nokia LTE RAN equipment deployed by AT&T to provide a better user experience.
It should be noted that the ‘Mid-band’ C-Band spectrum provides a good balance of both capacity and coverage, while also allowing rapid 5G rollout.
The American telco last week said it will start deploying the recently acquired 80MHz C-band spectrum late-2021 and next year onwards to complement its 5G network on low-band for delivering faster average speeds across the country.
“AT&T is committed to bringing the power of 5G to businesses and communities across the nation, and our C-Band deployments with Nokia will help add 5G capacity where it’s needed,” said Igal Elbaz, Senior Vice President of Wireless and Access Technology AT&T.
According to the company, it has invested $105 billion in America between 2016 to 2020, in investment and acquisitions of spectrum and wireless operations.
It now claims to have covered 230 million customers across the country while its 5G+ network is now live in 38 cities in the US.
Additionally, AT&T said it will deploy 5G+ in 17 venues across the country by the end of 2021 including stadiums, arenas and practice facilities.
“Nokia is ready to support the launch of 5G services into this valuable new spectrum on our customers’ timelines by leveraging our powerful portfolio of C-Band solutions and by being the first to demonstrate a live C-Band network in the U.S. in 2020. Our flexible and comprehensive portfolio will enable AT&T to enhance its 5G services in areas across the nation,” said Ed Cholerton, President of Nokia North America.
