SoftBank is seeking 5G support from both Nokia and Ericsson

SoftBank Corp., the leading telecoms company in Japan, has selected Nokia as a strategic partner to drive its commercial 5G offering with the Nokia AirScale solution.

The rollout of Nokia's 5G AirScale will allow the telco to meet growing consumer and industrial demands for 5G.

As an existing supplier of multiple technologies to SoftBank, Nokia believes that on being selected for 5G Radio is a re-enforcement to the strong relationship between the two companies.

Nokia's 5G AirScale supports multiple frequencies, in both distributed and centralized architectures, giving SoftBank tremendous flexibility in its network evolution.

Nokia's 5G AirScale will be deployed across Japan, bringing 5G RAN to businesses and consumers alike. The 5G investment will benefit consumers by bringing them a 5G enhanced Mobile BroadBand (eMBB) service, with 5G Ultra Reliable Low Latency Connectivity (URLLC) and enhanced Machine Type Communication (eMTC) enabling multiple new applications and services for industries in the 5G era.

Ericsson, on the other hand, has been selected by SoftBank Corp. as a 5G vendor for the deployment of a multi-band 5G network in Japan following a series of successful joint proof-of-concept activities that began in 2015.

Under the agreement, Ericsson will provide SoftBank with radio access network equipment, including products from the Ericsson Radio System portfolio. This will enable SoftBank to launch 5G services on their newly granted 3.9-4.0 GHz and 29.1-29.5 GHz bands for 5G New Radio (NR).

Ericsson says it will reinforce SoftBank’s existing LTE network while optimizing its 5G network. Ericsson Radio System products for this purpose will be deployed in several regions. With Ericsson Radio System, SoftBank says it can boost its spectrum assets.