Virgin Media O2 has announced a new three-year agreement with Nokia to supply Radio Access Network (RAN) equipment from AirScale Portfolio. This collaboration reinforces the longstanding partnership between the two companies. According to the joint statement, the deal covers the Southern parts of the United Kingdom, including the bustling city of London.
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AirScale Portfolio
Under the agreement, Nokia will provide Virgin Media O2 with its AirScale portfolio, which includes 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G network equipment. This will enable Virgin Media O2 to deliver a best-in-class network experience with increased reliability, performance, and capacity.
Energy Efficient Technology
Nokia's ReefShark System-on-Chip (SoC) technology will power its latest generation of Habrok massive MIMO radios and AirScale Baseband, along with Interleaved Passive Active Antennas (IPAA). The joint statement says this combination will not only bring enhanced 5G performance to O2 customers but also improve energy efficiency, with the equipment using 30 percent less energy and offering a 40 percent reduction in weight and volume. These advancements will minimize the impact on-site infrastructure and accelerate network deployment.
Also Read: Virgin Media O2 Selects Mavenir as Open RAN Vendor
Single RAN solution
In addition, Nokia will supply its Single RAN solution, enabling Virgin Media O2 to run 5G, 4G, 3G, and 2G technologies simultaneously. This will help accelerate the rollout of 5G coverage, expanding the network's capabilities and reaching more customers.
Virgin Media O2 will utilize Nokia's NetAct network management system to enhance network monitoring and management, providing a consolidated network view for improved efficiency.
Also Read: Virgin Media O2 and Ericsson Extend Partnership to Enhance 4G, 5G Coverage Across UK
As part of the deal, Virgin Media O2 has the option to pilot Nokia's commercial intelligent controller, showcasing the potential of advanced 5G use cases. Furthermore, the agreement opens up the possibility of piloting 5G Cloud RAN in the future, leveraging the existing cloud infrastructure with 5G wireless connectivity.
Nokia will also provide its Digital Operations Center, which will manage the design, deployment, and assurance of services across various network domains. This includes a solution that supports network modernisation while ensuring the utmost security.
