Nokia said that the first phase of Claro’s 5G implementation will reach Argentina’s largest cities
Finnish vendor Nokia has signed an agreement with Argentine carrier Claro Argentina to deploy 5G infrastructure across the country, the former said in a release.
Claro Argentina is owned by Mexican telecommunications group America Movil.
Nokia noted that the new agreement will cover the first phase of 5G implementation in the country, reaching Argentina’s largest cities. Nokia highlighted that it is the sole supplier and will see its market share increase in the deal.
Under the terms of the deal, Nokia will deploy equipment from its 5G AirScale portfolio, powered by its energy-efficient ReefShark System-on-Chip technology. This includes base stations, baseband units and its latest generation of massive MIMO radios.
Nokia will also offer planning, deployment, integration and network optimization services.
With this deal, Claro Argentina will become Nokia’s first customer in Latin America to deploy Nokia’s Interleaved Passive Active Antenna (IPAA+) across its entire footprint. Nokia’s IPAA+ accelerates the deployment of 5G as its modular design supports a wide range of frequencies, from 700 MHz to 2.6 GHz, and the 3.5 GHz 5G band with a compact antenna solution, the vendor said.
Nokia and Claro Argentina had previously worked together for the deployment of 2G, 3G and 4G networks.
Julio Carlos Porras, CEO at Claro Argentina, said: “The investment in our 5G network with our partner, Nokia, will continue to digitize society by bringing high-speed connectivity, increased capacity and seamless connectivity to densely populated areas supporting citizens and enterprises alike. This will enable unprecedented levels of innovation and efficiency across various sectors, empowering organizations to thrive in today’s fast-paced digital landscape.”
“Our 5G portfolio will establish the foundation for digital transformation, opening exciting new opportunities for people and businesses to experience enhanced mobile connectivity,” said Tommi Uitto, president of mobile networks at Nokia.
Earlier this year, rival telco Telecom Argentina, which operates under the Personal brand, announced plans to expand its 5G Standalone (5G SA) network in certain corridors with high-income customers during 2024.
The carrier also said it will also start 5G deployments in the cities of Cordoba and Rosario during this year.
Telecom Argentina claimed to be the first operator in the country to launch 5G Standalone technology. Telecom Argentina’s first 5G Standalone (5G SA) antennas were deployed in large urban concentrations in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area (AMBA) last year.
In October 2023, Argentine operators Claro, Movistar and Personal secured spectrum for the provision of 5G services in a tender carried out by the government.
5G subscribers in Argentina are expected to reach 34.7 million by 2030, up compared to 5.7 million in 2025, according to a report by telecom association GSMA.
The GSMA report showed that 5G penetration in Argentina is expected to reach 9% by 2025 while it is set to expand to 48% by 2030.
