Nokia will launch technologies that leverage licensed, unlicensed and shared spectrum for creating private end-to-end networks for enterprises.
Espoo, Finland-based Nokia said it will apply Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) capabilities and leverage its Flexi Zone, Cloud Packet Core to create opportunities for enterprises when they automate operations and connect employees and customers.
Nokia — using MEC capabilities — will provide an overlay approach to a multi-operator, multi-access RAN network, aggregating the enterprise Wi-Fi or other private wireless networks with an operator’s wireless network to boost performance. This will allow the enterprise or venue to deliver better customer experience using the Wi-Fi network while adding LTE capacity.
Nokia and Boingo have signed an agreement to trial the technology.
Nokia flexi WCDMA BTS“Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) is at the foundation of Boingo’s networks and participation in trials involving the technology helps keep us at the forefront of wireless connectivity. New NFV advancements like Nokia’s latest MEC capabilities will be crucial to the 5G vision and convergence of LTE and Wi-Fi,” said Derek Peterson, chief technology officer at Boingo.
Nokia will showcase the MulteFire release 1.0-compliant live service running on a commercial Flexi Zone small cell at at Mobile World Congress 2017.
One demonstration will use MulteFire carrier aggregation to boost network performance, while Nokia will show how MulteFire could be developed in the future to support narrowband-IoT (NB-IoT) connectivity for efficient use of spectrum and increased battery life of devices.
Nokia will explain how enterprises, venues and the hospitality industry in the United States will be able to use the 3.5 GHz Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) shared spectrum to deploy private LTE for their own business needs while also providing access to operators’ subscribers.
CBRS Flexi Zone small cells – combined with a neutral host gateway and neutral host capable devices – will enable private CBRS LTE network owners to allow transparent connectivity for telecom operators’ subscribers, helping with operators’ densification and indoor penetration needs on their path to 5G.
The Nokia flexible multi-access Cloud Packet Core enables common anchoring of licensed spectrum such as 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G as well as shared and unlicensed spectrum including Wi-Fi, MulteFire and LTE-based CBRS technologies to support a diverse range of mobile broadband, IoT/massive machine-type communication enterprise services and applications.
Nokia is expanding the Cloud Packet Core deployment options with a new range of pre-integrated Cloud Mobile Gateway and Cloud Mobility Manager platforms to support a diverse range of business and operational deployment models for enterprises.
“Our technologies and services will allow us to build and operate private networks working with enterprises or with providers to serve their enterprise customers,” said Thorsten Robrecht, head of Advanced Mobile Solutions at Nokia.