Nokia has announced that a software download will enable their 4G radios to transition from 4G to 5G. This is big news for organizations like FirstNet that rely heavily on radio transmissions for their emergency response personnel. Nokia claims there are over 3 million units in service, with numbers expected to surpass 5 million in 2021.
“While Open RAN promises software upgradability to ease transitions between ‘Gs’ and add new features, Nokia’s Flexi and AirScale portfolio shows it is ahead of the game by providing a software upgrade to transition over 5 million 4G radios to 5G,” said Chris Nicoll, Principal Analyst at ACG Research. “Efficient FDD spectrum refarming is critical for fast, broad and deep 5G deployments. With Nokia supplying the majority of the world’s top 4G operators, supporting key advanced features such as DSS helps those operators lead with 5G.”
A shift from 4G to 5G usage by employing FDD bands and repurposing them for 5G. Nokia anticipates the upgrade will be possible for the majority of their client base. The easy switch will mean no interrupted service for clients, as well as cost savings and minimal maintenance, according to the manufacturer.
“We already provide market- leading LTE radios to hundreds of customers around the world, said Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia. “This is an important solution because it will help our customers, quickly and efficiently upgrade their existing LTE radios so that they are 5G ready saving them time and money.”
Reader Interactions