The Racsa unit of Costa Rica's state-owned firm ICE has partnered with Nokia to deploy and officially launch its 5G Standalone (SA) service, becoming the first operator to do so in the region. The service is initially available at 30 sites in major cities, with Racsa planning to reach an additional 170 sites later this year, and with plans to expand to 500 sites in later phases.
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5G SA in Costa Rica
The project brings high-speed, low-latency 5G connectivity to key cities, including San Joss, Cartago, and Limon, as well as to rural communities across the country, according to the official release.
Fixed Wireless Access
The 5G SA network also provides Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) services to a wide range of consumers. FWA can be used to deliver high-speed connectivity to regions without existing telecom infrastructure.
According to GSMA Intelligence (Q2 2024), FWA is expected to grow exponentially compared to other broadband solutions over the next decade.
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Solutions Powering the Network
Racsa, powered by Nokia's integrator partner Datasys, has implemented solutions from Nokia’s AirScale radio portfolio, including Massive MIMO radios, remote radio heads, and base stations. Additionally, Racsa will deploy Nokia's FastMile 5G Receivers along with other Nokia products.
To support the 5G Standalone (SA) RAN architecture, Nokia has also integrated its 5G SA Compact Mobility Unit (CMU) Core into the network, the joint statement said.
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Racsa said: "By deploying the first 5G network in the country, we are not only improving connectivity for businesses and government entities but also enhancing the quality of life for our citizens."
