Nokia has announced a four-year contract extension with Orange France to upgrade its 5G radio infrastructure using Nokia’s energy-efficient AirScale portfolio.
The agreement aims to enhance customer experience with improved speed, capacity, and performance across Orange’s network in Southeastern and Western France.
As part of the deal, Orange France will also trial Nokia’s 5G Cloud RAN solutions to assess the transition towards Cloud RAN technology, marking a step forward in network evolution.
Nokia will provide equipment from its O-RAN-compliant 5G AirScale portfolio, including next-generation AirScale baseband solutions, high-output Massive MIMO Habrok radios, and FDD multiband remote radio heads from its Pandion portfolio.
These technologies, powered by Nokia’s ReefShark System-on-Chip, will enhance coverage and capacity while maintaining energy efficiency. Additionally, Orange France will benefit from Nokia’s AI-powered MantaRay NM solution, designed to support all radio and mobile core technologies.
Orange France’s decision to trial Nokia’s 5G Cloud RAN solutions aligns with the broader industry trend of adopting cloud-based network technologies. Nokia’s anyRAN approach offers a flexible evolution path for telecom providers, enabling a seamless transition to Cloud RAN with purpose-built, hybrid, or cloud-based solutions.
READ ALSO: YOUTUBE’S AD REVENUE SOARS: $10.5BN IN Q4
Emmanuel Lugagne Delpon, Chief Technology Officer at Orange France, highlighted the significance of the partnership extension, stating:
“This new contract extension with Nokia and their industry-leading equipment portfolio will support our pioneering efforts to drive superior customer experience, reduce our environmental footprint, and make our network as energy efficient as possible.”
Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia, also expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration:
“We are excited to continue our long-standing partnership with Orange France and contribute positively towards their network performance, sustainability goals, and commitment to net carbon neutrality. Our energy-efficient AirScale portfolio and AI-powered MantaRay network management solution will enhance Orange’s network and deliver premium connectivity experiences to customers.”
This latest development strengthens Nokia’s position as a key technology provider in Europe’s telecom industry, supporting Orange France in delivering next-generation connectivity while advancing sustainability initiatives.
