World’s First Big 5G Deal

T-Mobile US named Nokia to supply it with $3.5 billion in next-generation 5G network gear, the firms said on Monday, marking the world’s largest 5G deal so far and concrete evidence of a new wireless upgrade cycle taking root. No.3 US mobile carrier T-Mobile said the multiyear supply deal with Nokia will deliver the first nationwide 5G services, Reuters reported. Terms of the deal call for Nokia to supply a range of 5G hardware, software and services that will allow T-Mobile to capitalize on licensed airwave to deliver broad coverage on 600 megahertz spectrum and ultra high-speed capacity on 28 gigahertz airwaves in densely trafficked urban areas, the companies said. Nokia will supply T-Mobile with its AirScale radio access platform along with cloud-connected hardware, software and acceleration services, they said in a statement. The network equipment business, which is led by three big players—China’s Huawei, Nokia and Sweden’s Ericsson—has struggled with flagging growth since the current generation of 4G mobile equipment peaked in 2015.