China Telecom taps Nokia for 4G network expansion

Herndon, VA – August 12, 2016 – Nokia and China Telecom have signed an agreement to expand the deployment of 4G technology in 19 provinces in China. By expanding the radio access network, China Telecom plans to meet growing subscriber demand with ubiquitous 4G coverage and faster internet access, as well as improve access in urban and suburban areas. The agreement with Nokia also lays the foundation for China Telecom’s planned launch of VoLTE services in 2017.

Nokia deploying its 4G technology in 19 provinces

Under the terms of the contract, Nokia is deploying its 4G technology in 19 provinces in China, namely Shanghai, Jiangsu, Shandong, Zhejiang, Hunan, Hubei, Guangxi, Fujian, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Heilongjiang, Hebei, Henan, Sichuan, Anhui, Liaoning, Guizhou, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia. The roll-out includes Nokia’s Flexi MultiRadio 10 base stations.

Nokia will also provide its Global Services, including project management, network design and installation, as well as Care hardware and software maintenance services. Nokia optimization experts will use Nokia NetAct to upgrade the performance of the network for subscribers.

China Telecom ended June with 207 million mobile subscribers, of which 90 million are 4G device users, which represents an increase of more than 31 million during the first six months of 2016. Last year the company saw 4G traffic increase by more than six times, and it is predicted to account for more than 90 percent of mobile data traffic on the network by 2017.