Nokia has entered into a partnership with Russian telecommunications operator MTS Group to create a strategic path to the realization of 5G technology and the management of the ever-growing demands of connected people and devices.
"We are at the forefront of 5G development, focused on delivering solutions that will prepare today's networks for this technology. As a result, we can help operators such as MTS to evolve smoothly and efficiently to the programmable world,” Wladimir Ulianow, head of CBT MTS at Nokia, said.
Under the partnership, the companies will deploy a test network during an international sports event in Russia in 2018. In 2018, the two companies will implement a 5G test network in a Russian football stadium to allow fans to experience innovative video and other services during the major event being staged there.
The joint testing will focus on the implementation of LTE-Advanced Pro features such as enhanced carrier aggregation and LTE-broadcast, along with coverage and capacity improvements using LTE-Unlicensed (LTE-U) and Licensed Assisted Access (LAA).
Both the companies will also explore IoT projects using Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT), LTE-Machine (LTE-M) and Extended Coverage GSM technologies.
“MTS is developing a roadmap for the evolution of its networks taking into account the complexity and scope of the challenges to be solved when implementing the 5G standards. We are excited to leverage Nokia's technology to help us transition to 5G and take full advantage of IoT. The joint projects and trials we will undertake will enable us to meet future data demand in the most effective way, and we look forward to showcasing this work in 2018,” Andrey Ushatsky, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at MTS, said.
