Nokia is reportedly close to obtaining a 5G radio equipment deal with Portuguese telecom provider MEO.
According to an internal blog post and sources per Reuters, Nokia is poised to win the agreement despite Huawei being MEO's only provider of 2G, 3G, and 4G RAN equipment. However, sources claimed the deal remains unsigned, with an announcement expected next month.
Altice, a French company, owns Portugal's main mobile operator, MEO, which was previously owned by Telecom Portugal. In recent years, Huawei has been MEO's sole RAN supplier. In 2G, 3G, and 4G, Huawei has a 100% market share.
However, Tommi Uitto, president of Nokia's mobile networks, noted in an internal blog that the company has been chosen "to replace Huawei in some key markets in Portugal," as reported by Reuters.
The two companies have not commented on the report as of present reporting.
RAN equipment has been a major income generator for Huawei, Nokia, and Ericsson. Nokia and Ericsson have lost many jobs due to a drop in telecom operator demand for new equipment since last year.
Huawei remains a key player in China's growing telecom sector but it is banned in the United States and some European countries due to security concerns.
The deal would bring Nokia back to Portugal's RAN market after Huawei took it years ago. Since then, Nokia has not provided RAN equipment to national telecom companies, according to Uitto.
Nokia Accelerates 5G Development in Europe
The report follows Nokia's announcement last week that it is expanding network programmability and monetization collaboration with Orange. Nokia's Network as Code platform will allow developers to use Orange's 5G network to create new apps for French and European users.
Orange, a global telecommunications company with over 280 million mobile users, offers commercial-grade network APIs through the Orange Developer Portal. According to the firm's media release, the extended alliance intends to expedite worldwide developer involvement and enable 5G features including dynamic bandwidth allocation, real-time location analytics, predictive maintenance, and event-driven security responses.
Visitors walk past Finnish multinational telecommunications Nokia logo during the Mobile World Congress (MWC), the telecom industry's biggest annual gathering, in Barcelona on February 26, 2024. PAU BARRENA/AFP via Getty Images
The Nokia Network as Code platform will include SDKs, network API documentation, a sandbox for code simulation and testing, and code snippets for application development. Orange designed this connection to enhance developers' capabilities, stimulate new use cases, and enhance consumer value.
Nokia's Network as Code platform unites telecom networks, systems integrators, and software developers worldwide to accelerate 5G and 4G software application development. Nokia and Orange collaborate on industry projects, including the GSMA Open Gateway and Linux Foundation CAMARA, which set technical standards for the platform.
Nokia To Go to The Moon This 2024
Nokia collaborates with 12 global network operators and ecosystem partners to use its Network as Code platform. Orange has launched France and Spain's first commercial-grade APIs following Linux Foundation CAMARA principles.
Amid these collaborations, Nokia also aims advance space communications technology by launching an LTE/4G network on the moon by late 2024, as previously reported by TechTimes.
This project is part of NASA's Tipping Point effort to build the first lunar cellular network for future lunar missions, including NASA's Artemis. The Artemis program plans human activities on the moon as a preliminary to Mars missions.
Nokia's mission hardware will launch late this year. A "network in a box," the Finnish company's technology will connect Intuitive Machines' Nova-C lunar lander, Lunar Outpost's MAPP rover, and Micro-Nova hopper.
The mission's goals are to install and test the first lunar LTE/4G network over several weeks. The technology will be tested for its ability to withstand the environmental challenges of space travel, including launch and landing procedures, as well as the severe temperatures, vacuum, and radiation on the lunar surface.
