Finnish telecom firm Nokia (NOKIA.HE) has suffered a setback after a source close to the matter confirmed it had lost out to Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) on a part of the contract to supply new 5G equipment to Verizon (VZ.N) in the United States.

With this $6.64 billion contract win, Samsung has reinforced its position as a challenger to the dominance of Nokia and its Nordic rival Ericsson (ERICb.ST) in selling telecom gear, after China’s Huawei was barred from bidding for 5G contracts in the United States.

The loss for Nokia comes after its new Chief Executive Pekka Lundmark took the top job in August, but the source said negotiations were going on before he took charge.

A Nokia spokeswoman declined to comment on the loss.

“We play a critical role in enabling Verizon’s 3G and 4G networks and continue to work with them to accelerate innovation in 5G,” she said. “They remain a top-three global customer.”

Major telecom firms such as Verizon uses several suppliers for building various parts of a network with radio contracts accounting for a big part of the spending.

Liberum analyst Janardan Menon said the contract loss could impact Nokia’s ability to invest in technology at the same rate at its competition, and rival Ericsson might have even increased its share at Verizon. Liberum has a “hold” rating on Nokia shares.

An Ericsson spokesman declined to comment.

Nokia shares were down 1% in morning trade.

The shares had fallen in July when brokerage JPMorgan said there was a real risk Verizon would reduce its dependence on Nokia as its primary RAN (radio access network) supplier going forward and shift towards Samsung.

source: Reuters

Also Read:

BOSNIAN TESLA FAN IMPATIENT FOR CYBERTRUCK RELEASE BUILDS A LOOKALIKE

PENTAGON: RE-EVALUATION FINDS MICROSOFT'S JEDI PROPOSAL STILL IS BEST

NISSAN UNVEILS ITS FIRST ELECTRIC SUV, THE ARIYA WITH DETAILED SPECS    

VW NOT SEEKING A DEAL WITH TESLA, CEO DIESS SAYS

ITALY INVESTIGATES APPLE, GOOGLE, DROPBOX OVER CLOUD STORAGE

TOP 4 CANON CAMERA IN NEPAL | WITH SPECS AND PRICE  

Nokia today announced that it is launching a certification program to help industry professionals realize the full business potential of end-to-end 5G networks. The Nokia Bell Labs End-to-End 5G Certification Program is a first-of-its-kind program that will offer professionals across the information and communications technology (ICT) industry two levels of certification – Associate and Professional – that deliver essential knowledge covering everything from the basics of 5G networks to professional level planning and design.
 
The vendor-agnostic certification program is designed for business and technology professionals at communications service providers and enterprises. By having their employees gain a greater understanding and proficiency in the application of end-to-end 5G technologies, companies will benefit from the faster realization of 5G strategies and the competitive advantage of providing high-value 5G services. 

Marcus Weldon, Nokia CTO and President of Nokia Bell Labs, said: “5G is dramatically changing the communications landscape, providing the need for a broad, technical program that provides professionals not only with a firm understanding of end-to-end 5G technologies but also the skills to apply them effectively when creating network solutions in support of emerging business opportunities. As 5G investments are still in relatively early stages, we feel the timing of this end-to-end 5G certification program is ideal, ensuring the coming years of intense 5G activity have profound, positive impacts for consumers and industries alike.”
 
Sergio Fasce, Vice President of NokiaEDU, the learning, and development branch of Nokia, said: “NokiaEDU is excited to partner with Nokia Bell Labs to deliver this innovative end-to-end 5G certification program. The companies and individuals who are best informed and equipped to recognize the opportunities of 5G stand to benefit most from this revolutionary technology.”
 
The Nokia Bell Labs 5G Certification Program will officially launch at the end of February with the introduction of its Associate Level Certification and End-to-End 5G Foundation course. Professional-level certifications and courses will follow later in 2020.
 
Nokia is the only vendor with an end-to-end product and services portfolio that covers all 5G network elements, including radio, core, cloud and transport as well as management, automation and security. This offers operators and enterprise customers with a simple and efficient step-wise upgrade to existing radio access, core and transport domains, helping customers identify a faster path to 5G. Approximately 60% of Nokia’s 5G customers have selected more than just New Radio from its end-to-end portfolio.

Nokia’s momentum in 5G is underpinned by the company’s continued leadership in cellular technology R&D and standardization. In October 2019, Nokia announced it had declared more than 2,000 5G patent families as essential for 5G, a year after making its first declarations for the standard. Driven by world-class innovations from across the organization, including the renowned Nokia Bell Labs, it has played a leading role in contributing technologies to 5G, working with 3GPP to establish 5G standards and enabling the rollout of 5G networks. Nokia is now contributing towards the next set of standards, Release 16.

Resources:

• Website: Nokia Bell Labs End-to-End 5G Certification Program website
• Video: Marcus Weldon introduces the certification program
• Also read: NOKIA C1 LAUNCHED IN NEPAL
• Also read: SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FLIP LAUNCHED
• Also read: 10% VAT REFUND ON ELECTRIC PAYMENT IN NEPAL

Nokia today announced details of a new 5G deal with Taiwan Star Telecom (TST). The deal will see Nokia supply TST with its end-to-end AirScale Radio Access network portfolio helping the operator to launch 5G non-standalone (NSA) networks that will lay the foundations for 5G standalone (SA) in the future. Nokia is the only supplier in this deal.
 
Nokia previously installed TST’s LTE network, which will now be migrated to 5G services utilizing Nokia’s AirScale BTS and AirScale Radio Access solutions to deliver excellent coverage and capacity to end-users. Nokia’s AirScale massive MIMO solution will be also be supplied, offering comprehensive coverage. Nokia Global Services will execute rollouts, network design and optimization along with technical software and hardware support using digital and automated services delivery. Nokia’s end-to-end 5G solution ensures a simple migration path and a fast deployment for TST to support its requirements.

TST recently secured 40 MHz of bandwidth and is already underway with the initial phase of network deployment. The early deployment will see 126 commercial districts and retail zones covered which is expected to be completed by Q320 with 80 per cent of metropolitan areas covered by 2023.

Cliff Lai, President of Taiwan Star, commented: “Everything that Taiwan Star has achieved in this dynamic market is the result of our company core values that outline what a unique mobile service provider could be. We are proud to continue working with Nokia who will support us and help us to realize our ambition and deliver 5G services to our subscribers country-wide.”

Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia, commented: “We are delighted to have reached this significant milestone with our long-standing partner Taiwan Star, demonstrating its confidence in our global end-to-end portfolio. I look forward to working closely with Taiwan Star Telecom to help upgrade its network and deliver incredible 5G experiences to its subscribers across the country.”

Also Read:

NOKIA HAS DECLARED MORE THAN 3,000 PATENT FAMILIES AS ESSENTIAL FOR 5G, LESS THAN SIX MONTHS

HUAWEI, CHINA MOBILE SETUP 5G CONNECTIVITY TO MOUNT EVEREST

Nokia announces 5G certification program to train and certify industry professionals

HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, announces it has successfully closed 230 million USD in the first closing of its current funding round from some of its top global strategic partners.

As well as establishing itself as a leading feature phone manufacturer by value, HMD Global has been successful in clearly differentiating its Android™ smartphone offering. Nokia smartphones come with a premium Nordic design that is inspired by the company’s European heritage, superior product quality, premium ZEISS imaging experience, and market-leading reliability, as well as security features including a three-year monthly security update promise and two-year Android software upgrade commitment with the Android One promise.

As the only key European smartphone player, HMD Global is increasingly popular with both enterprises and consumers who are looking for a pure, secure, and up-to-date smartphone experience.

Jean-Francois Baril, Executive Chairman and Co-Founder, HMD Global, says: “Our unique business model, based on asset-light global deployment and strong partnerships with the best in the industry, is entering a new level of maturity with the valued support of some of the most influential market-makers in mobile devices. I am extremely proud of our significant achievements to date and also thrilled about the immense opportunity before us to accelerate our journey towards excellence.”  

Florian Seiche, Chief Executive Officer, HMD Global, says: “Since the very beginning, HMD Global has worked to build strong bonds with our strategic partners. This additional investment further validates our long-term business strategy and is evidence of our collective mission to make modern mobile technology accessible to everyone. Security, reliability and dependability are the cornerstones of our offering, and we will ensure we are using these funds to deliver the best experiences people have come to expect from a Nokia phone. As the only major European smartphone manufacturer, we remain true to our Finnish roots and the hallmarks that our customers trust Nokia phones to be synonymous with. With the support of our heavyweight partners, I am truly excited for the next chapter of Nokia phones.”

The investment will further fuel HMD Global’s strategic vision in four key areas. Firstly, it will accelerate the company’s mission to make 5G smartphones accessible to consumers across the world, with an emphasis on strong partnerships with US carriers. Secondly, HMD Global will further transition to digital-first offerings as part of a new post-COVID reality. It will also expand its presence in key growth markets, including the recently introduced operations in Brazil, as well as Africa and India.

Finally, the investment will help the business strengthen its leading position beyond just hardware and into a holistic mobile service provider. This year alone, HMD Global launched its international data roaming service, HMD Connect, enhanced its mobile cybersecurity capabilities with the acquisition of assets of Valona Labs, and built dedicated resources on software, security and services with a new research and development Centre of Excellence in Tampere, Finland.
 

Also Read:

NOKIA'S OLD ICONIC PHONES RELAUNCHING TREND CONTINUES

NOKIA POST 116 MILLION EUROS PROFIT IN FIRST-QUARTER 2020

NOKIA ANNOUNCES 5G CERTIFICATION PROGRAM TO TRAIN AND CERTIFY INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS

NOKIA HAS DECLARED MORE THAN 3,000 PATENT FAMILIES AS ESSENTIAL FOR 5G, LESS THAN SIX MONTHS

TELETALK INTRODUCING NOKIA 125 AND NOKIA 150(2020) IN NEPAL