Nokia announced that it has been selected by New Zealand operator Spark to support its 5G rollout, which will provide 5G coverage to approximately 90% of the population by the end of 2023.
Under the terms of the deal, Spark will deploy Nokia’s latest 5G RAN technology across a large part of the rollout, while simultaneously upgrading 4G at these sites using Nokia products.
Nokia RAN equipment will be used to upgrade parts of Spark’s mobile network using products from its latest AirScale radio portfolio, all powered by the vendor’s ReefShark System-on-Chip technology.
Nokia noted that its AirScale portfolio equipment is also software upgradeable from 3G/4G to 5G, enabling Spark to remotely upgrade 4G sites to 5G, when required.
Rajesh Singh, general manager of Value Management at Spark New Zealand, said: “We’re immensely excited about bringing 5G to approximately 90% of New Zealand’s population by the end of calendar year 2023 and to provide the foundation that we believe will support Kiwi businesses across a range of industries to adapt, transform and grow in an increasingly digital world. We’re also pleased to be upgrading parts of our 4G network to support the unprecedented increase in demand for data we are seeing each year.”
Rob Joyce, CTO of Australia and New Zealand at Nokia, said: “We’re proud to support Spark as it delivers the benefits of 5G to more of New Zealand. By helping Spark be 5G ready and reduce its total cost of ownership with our AirScale products, it can deliver 5G much faster and further than before, allowing its consumer and enterprise customers to reap the rewards of 5G in more and more places across New Zealand.”
In March, Spark and Korean vendor Samsung Electronics had launched 5G infrastructure in the city of Christchurch, the most populous city in South Island of New Zealand. The two companies have been working together on 5G trials since 2019.
Prior to working with Samsung in Christchurch, Spark tapped Nokia to help it deliver 5G services to Auckland, including Spark’s 5G Race Zone, located in the city’s Viaduct precinct, which is a 5G-powered experience specifically designed for sailing fans.
Vodafone New Zealand had launched commercial 5G services in parts of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown in 2019. The telco currently provides 5G in parts of Auckland, Tauranga, Whanganui, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown.
In April of 2021, New Zealand operator 2degrees had announced a partnership with Ericsson to launch a 5G network in the country.
The company said that the initial 5G sites will be located in the cities of Auckland and Wellington with plans to expand the network to other main urban areas, with a total of 700 sites.
2degrees also said that the partnership with Ericsson will allow the company to double its current 4G capacity.
