Nokia unveils a major 5G radio refresh

Finnish kit vendor Nokia has taken the latest step towards getting its act together on 5G with the launch of a bunch of new AirScale products.

Specifically we’re talking about basebands, remote radio heads and massive MIMO active antennas, the last of which nudges Nokia ahead in the competition to offer the lightest 5G antenna, at a lean 17 kilos for the 32TRX one. The launch also saw the latest iteration of Nokia’s troubled ReefShark chip portfolio, which enables its new baseband plug-in cards to deal with eight times more stuff then the last lot.

“Our new generation of ReefShark-powered AirScale radio and baseband products is evidence of the successful transformation of our business and ability to deliver market-leading products to our global customers,” said Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia.

“Nokia’s new portfolio enables communication service providers to offer both consumer and enterprise customers with cutting-edge 5G experiences with premium speeds, capacity, and connectivity underpinned by seamless, simple, and efficient ‘plug-in’ deployment. Our new AirScale products are O-RAN ready. They consume less energy and highlight our commitment to climate change. We’re excited to see our customers deploying these products and see the transformative impact of 5G technology.”

They got someone from IDC to say something obliging too. Light Reading reckons this launch is evidence of Nokia getting back in the 5G game, so the signs are good for them. Perhaps not a coincidence is the fact that Nokia’s share price has been rising, while Ericsson’s has been going in the opposite direction of late. Here’s Uitto giving it large about the launches.