Nokia to upgrade Ice’s 5G network in Norway

Finnish kit vendor Nokia has signed a five year deal with Norwegian operator Ice to upgrade and expand its 5G radio network infrastructure.

Nokia has apparently already got stuck into the upgrades, and work is expected to be completed by 2026. The kit vendor will serve up equipment from its AirScale portfolio including Single RAN, AirScale base stations, and high-capacity 5G Massive MIMO antennas to support different spectrum bands.

Around 3200 base stations will be modernized and an additional 3900 new base stations will be built, designed to boost Ice’s 5G coverage and performance both in cities and in rural areas, and  enable it to take advantage of its broad spectrum holdings. Nokia is also providing its NetAct solution for network management and technical support services.

“This deal highlights our continued commitment to investing in our network and giving our subscribers the best possible connectivity experiences,” said Eivind Helgaker, CEO of Ice. “Nokia has been our technology partner from the very beginning and through active competition they have again convinced us that they are still the right choice. Their technology gives us the flexibility to utilize our spectrum assets to their full capacity and enables us to compete even more strongly in the Norwegian telecommunications market.”

Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia, added: “This is a particularly exciting phase for Ice as 5G is picking up pace in Norway and is establishing a competitive position in the market. We are proud to continue our journey as its long-term partner. We have already made great progress with the deployment of 5G services across the country and this new deal will extend coverage to new areas while improving the coverage and performance of the existing footprint. Our industry has a big role to play in the green transition of societies, and our energy-efficient AirScale portfolio supports Ice’s commitments to sustainability.”

Ice, Norway’s smallest operator, announced it was launching 5G services and had big expansion plans in November last year. Its strategy was described as targeting the price sensitive end of the market, a move it believes will help it catch up to incumbent Telenor and Nordic big gun Telia.

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