Nokia and Eastlink announced a multi-year deal on Wednesday to significantly upgrade the latter’s mobile network in Canada.
With the support of Nokia’s advanced AirScale portfolio, which incorporates 5G RAN, Eastlink aims to offer its users faster internet speeds, improved performance, and expanded network capacity. This collaboration includes both the establishment of new sites and the enhancement of existing ones. The first site with Nokia’s technology is slated to be operational by August.
“We’re delighted to bring Nokia on board in our dual supplier radio network approach. Over the forthcoming years, we anticipate them to oversee a major part of our mobile radio access network. Nokia, with its global leadership in 5G, will play a crucial role in ensuring our customers receive top-notch mobile services, given their proficiency in innovative, energy-efficient, and secure technology,” said Jeff Gillham, Eastlink’s CEO, in a statement.
Nokia’s top-notch AirScale 5G collection, inclusive of baseband, remote radio heads, and large MIMO antennas, is designed to facilitate extensive 5G coverage and ensure easy set-up. All these tools utilize the latest energy-saving ReefShark System-on-Chip (SoC) technology, which supports optimal network performance and efficient operation.
“Nokia is eager to work with Eastlink to fortify their 5G Network. Through our AirScale platform, we aspire to provide Eastlink’s clientele with unparalleled 5G speeds and reliability. It’s indeed exciting to envision more Canadians benefiting from these state-of-the-art technologies and experiencing the transformative power of 5G,” added Jeffrey Maddox, Nokia Canada President.
Currently, Eastlink’s existing 5G network is available in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI.
Eastlink provides communication services like high-speed internet, mobile, TV, and phone. They cater to various customers ranging from residential to business across seven provinces in Canada and Bermuda. Since its 2013 inception, Eastlink has committed $500 million to expand its mobile service nationwide, notably marking its presence recently in New Brunswick and the Acadian Peninsula.
