Nokia announced it has been selected by Taiwanese mobile operator Asia Pacific Telecom (APT) as the single vendor for 5G New Radio (NR).
The 5G network deal also includes 5G core (non-standalone and standalone), security and monetization.
APT will deploy high-band 28 GHz mmWave in Taiwan to deliver the ultra-fast mobile broadband speeds expected in the 5G era.
Nokia will provide a number of its AirScale Radio Access solutions. These solutions will enable APT to deliver market-leading 5G experiences to subscribers with ultra-fast data speeds, ultra-low latency, and a new level of connectivity.
APT will also deploy Nokia software spanning Core Network, monetization and security. The cloud-native Cloud Mobile Gateway (CMG) and Cloud Mobility Manager (CMM) appliance solutions, from Nokia’s Cloud Packet Core (CPC) portfolio, will deliver a highly scalable and flexible Control/User Plane Separation (CUPS) architecture.
The CPC cloud-native design also gives APT the capability to rapidly launch 5G services to its customers without making significant changes to the network.
Additional virtual network functions and applications to be deployed on Nokia CloudBand and NetAct will manage these along with the physical network elements. This will allow APT to shift its network and operations to cloud-native automated efficiency and to rapidly launch and monetize new 5G experiences and enterprise services.
Nokia will provide its Nokia AirFrame data center solution to support cloud-based applications necessary for future telco and IT networking and service delivery, and digital design and deployment for a faster time to market, as well as optimization and technical support services.
APT plans to launch 5G services later this year and has ambitious plans to use the technology to develop Taiwan’s enterprise sector as well as introduce cloud gaming, virtual reality, augmented reality and streaming services to subscribers.
APT aims to target six vertical industries: smart manufacturing, smart retail, smart medical, smart transportation, smart entertainment, and smart energy. APT secured 400MHz in the 28 GHz frequency range but not mid-band spectrum and plans to work with other operators to share network in the 3.5 GHz frequency range to offer services in both bands.
Nanren Huang, president at Asia Pacific Telecom said: “APT has ambitious targets for its 5G services, including transforming the enterprise and consumer sectors in Taiwan with new and enhanced high-speed services.”
Tommi Uitto, president of Mobile Networks at Nokia, said: “This is an important win for us in Taiwan with a long-standing partner.”
5G in Taiwan
Taiwan Star Telecom, Asia Pacific Telecom, Chunghwa Telecom, Far EasTone and Taiwan Mobile obtained their 5G licenses.
Taiwan Star said it plans to launch its 5G services on Aug. 4. Asia Pacific Telecom said its 5G services will begin by the end of the third quarter.
The five telecom operators acquired 5G spectrums in a tense auction that ended mid-January, putting up a total of NT$138.08 billion (US$4.68 billion) in one of the most expensive 5G license biddings in the world.
Taiwan Star, which paid NT$19.708 billion for 40 megahertz in the 3.5 GHz band in the auction, said it is building base stations in 455 business districts and other areas around Taiwan in preparation for the launch of its 5G services.
Taiwan Star will have 1,000 base stations by the end of the year, mostly in the six largest cities in Taiwan.
The company said it also teaming up with another domestic company, Askey Computer Corp., to set up small cell stations to provide better services to consumers by boosting the indoor 5G signal.
Asia Pacific, which secured 400 megahertz at 28 GHz for NT$412 million, will launch a 5G Land video/audio entertainment platform, taking advantage of virtual reality, augmented reality and streaming technologies as well as cloud-based gaming.
The company said it will work with international partners to provide content for its 5G platform and build a 5G ecosystem.
