Nokia Networks announced Thursday that it will team up with Canadian operator WIND Mobile as its sole infrastructure provider and innovation partner to upgrade the carrier’s LTE network.
Through the five-year partnership, Nokia will deploy cloud-based core technologies that will allow WIND to launch VoLTE, VoWi-Fi and IMS services. The upgrades will also help WIND improve its network capacity and speed with a better utilization of spectrum and the offloading of voice traffic.
“Our partnership with WIND as its sole network infrastructure provider is unique in the industry,” said Nokia’s executive vice president of North America Ricky Corker. “WIND has put its complete trust in us, and we are committed to helping them bring new technologies and capabilities to the market, and achieve their goal of delivering the best network experience for their customers.”
According to Thursday’s release, Nokia will deploy a cloud core based on OpenStack that, in addition to VoLTE, VoWi-Fi and IMS, will include HSS and an Evolved Packet Core. Nokia will also deploy new radio LTE and OSS.
The upgrade to LTE will undoubtedly be a huge leap forward for the carrier.
WIND, which bills itself as Canada’s fourth largest wireless provider, currently has no LTE service, according to a recent RootMetrics report.
According to RootMetrics data from the second half of 2015, WIND provided a top median download speed of 2.8 Mbps in Toronto. Its slowest median download speed was 1.8 Mbps in Vancouver. Median upload speeds never reached 1 Mbps. RootMetrics dubbed it the “slowest network” in its tests of Canadian wireless providers.
Filed Under: Infrastructure
