Italian telecommunications company EOLO, in partnership with Nokia, is deploying what the companies call the first 5G standalone mmWave network in Europe to deliver an enhanced customer experience with increased capacity and coverage. Nokia on December 16 announced it has signed a four-year deal with EOLO, a Benefit Corporation, and the first B Corp in the Italian telecommunications sector, to roll out Europe's first 5G standalone mmWave Radio Access Network (RAN).
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Expanding FWA to Underserved in Italy
EOLO provides Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) connectivity in Italy. The collaboration aims to bridge the digital and digital speed divides by expanding FWA connectivity to underserved communities across the country, the official release said.
Nokia will supply its 5G AirScale portfolio, including AirScale baseband solutions, Massive MIMO radios, and Remote Radio Heads, powered by ReefShark technology. The solution also includes Shikra mmWave radios, offering ultra-wide bandwidth and high-capacity connectivity for dense urban environments and rural areas to support services such as real-time multi-user, ultra-high-definition video streaming or augmented reality.
Nokia's Shikra mmWave Radios
Nokia said its Shikra mmWave solution also delivers FWA services to rural or underserved communities, where traditional wired infrastructure may be impractical or expensive to deploy. The solution includes a FastMile 5G mmWave outdoor receiver to connect homes to the mmWave network.
With the FastMile 5G mmWave outdoor receiver, EOLO will deliver high-speed wireless broadband to homes in remote areas, providing up to 1 Gbps connectivity. According to the official release, this partnership is expected to improve FWA services across Italy, offering 5G capacity for retail, business, and wholesale markets.
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5G Infrastructure
CEO at EOLO commented: "Together with Nokia and the other partners involved in the deal, we will be able to bring FWA connectivity up to 1 Gbps to the whole Italian market. By installing a new 5G infrastructure, we will see the further development of our FWA network that will continue to improve the experience for our customers as well as bridge digital divide and digital speed divide."
President of Mobile Networks at Nokia, said: "The introduction of 5G mmWave solutions from our industry-leading AirScale and FastMile portfolios will enable premium 5G capacity and connectivity with the highest quality of service for subscribers."
Nokia's Shikra mmWave radios and FastMile FWA receivers will support Fixed Wireless Access services to support EOLO's plan to connect underserved communities in Italy.
