Nokia and U.S. Cellular Agree to Add 5G mmWave in 24 GHz and 28 GHz Bands

According to a recent announcement, U.S. Cellular will deploy Nokia’s AirScale portfolio, with Cloud RAN capabilities, in order to provide enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) 5G mmWave.  

The companies said they will work together to enable a virtualized RAN that provides Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) reduction through simplified automation and improved operational efficiency, and support of open ecosystems.

To support U.S. Cellular’s advanced IoT and enterprise customers, the company reportedly will include Nokia’s Worldwide IoT Network Grid (WING) solution as a deployment component, in order to allow the scaling of 5G IoT services faster and more cost-effectively. 

“U.S. Cellular and Nokia are taking bold steps forward together in the realm of 5G modernization and connectivity,” said Mike Irizarry, CTO, U.S. Cellular. “With 5G mmWave technology from Nokia, we can provide our customers with the leading-edge capabilities of high performance, ultra-low latency 5G. By readying our network with these key foundational network elements, we can offer an even wider range of communications services that enhance our customers’ wireless experience.”

U.S. Cellular is beginning its multi-year deployment of 5G mmWave now, with commercial availability planned for 2021.

“We are pleased to extend our relationship with U.S. Cellular with 5G mmWave technology and enable the company to deliver to its consumer and enterprise customers exciting new 5G services that require lightning performance with no discernable latency,” said Ricky Corker, President of Customer Operations for Americas, Nokia. “This is a big leap forward in the provision of fast, secure and reliable networks in the Western, Mid-West and Mid-Atlantic regions.”