Nokia has announced that it’s working with Iliad Group, France’s fourth-largest mobile operator, to deliver 5G to customers in France and Italy. The Iliad Group boasts 17 million customers across France and Italy. The announcement comes at a time when countries are deciding whether, or not, to allow Huawei equipment into their 5G networks.
Commenting on the partnership, Thomas Reynaud, Iliad Group’s CEO, said:
“We want to offer our customers the best possible 5G experience and that is why we have chosen to strengthen and accelerate our relationship with Nokia as we enter the 5G era. Nokia’s innovative 5G technologies and solutions will enable us to launch quickly and efficiently, delivering a superior network performance whilst also securing us against future challenges.”
Under the agreement, Iliad Group will install Nokia’s AirScale radio access technology which supports both 5G and 4G/LTE. AirScale will allow Iliad Group to future-proof its radio network, allowing it to expand its services to consumers and businesses at a later date. According to Nokia, AirScale can deliver service with “ultra-low latency, huge connectivity, [and] extreme capacity”.
Iliad Group has worked with Nokia in France since 2012 and in Italy since 2018. Nokia’s technology has helped Iliad Group to deliver both 3G and 4G connectivity to its customers. This agreement will allow the networks to be modernised and will see 5G connectivity added.