Finnish vendor also signs patent agreement with Amazon for video technologies, ending all pertinent litigation in all territories
Vodafone Idea Limited (VIL) has selected Nokia to modernize its optical transport network infrastructure across select metro and circle regions throughout India. The initiative leverages Nokia's optical switching capabilities to bolster capacity as 4G traffic continues expanding. Beyond capacity gains, the deployment promises greater operational flexibility and efficiency while simultaneously "boost VIL's 5G rollout", according to the vendor.
VIL commenced 5G service delivery in Mumbai this month and intends to reach five additional metropolitan centers. The financially challenged operator maintains it possesses adequate resources to establish 5G infrastructure across 100 urban and rural locations spanning 17 circles within the next three years, viewing the technology as instrumental in stemming customer defection.
By contrast, sector frontrunners Reliance Jio Infocomm and Bharti Airtel reported 170 million and 120 million 5G subscribers respectively as of December's conclusion, having both initiated 5G operations in October 2022.
The infrastructure modernization encompasses deployment of Nokia's 1830 Photonic Service Switch (PSS) platform alongside CDC-F 2.0 wavelength switching technologies. Nokia will additionally provision its photonic service engine (PSE-Vs) optics, iDense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) and optical transport network (OTN) infrastructure to maintain service continuity during peak demand periods.
According to Nokia, the deployment permits VIL to transition its network from C-band to C+L band configurations as circumstances demand, circumventing "forklift changes in platform or architecture" and thereby "reducing operational costs". The undertaking additionally contributes to diminished energy consumption.
Sang Xulei, VP and Head of Network Infrastructure at Nokia Asia Pacific, commented: "We have been a long-standing partner for [VIL] in India, built on our trusted performance in network infrastructure. Our cutting-edge 1830 PSS technology will ensure their readiness to deliver multi-terabit data growth and support upcoming quantum-safe services for their enterprise customers." He further stated that the initiative "cements Nokia's leadership in India's optical transport market and commitment to enabling next-generation connectivity in India."
Separately, Nokia has concluded a patent licensing arrangement with Amazon governing Nokia's video technology implementation across Amazon's streaming platforms and consumer devices. This accord terminates all outstanding patent disputes between the organizations across all legal jurisdictions. Neither the agreement's specifics nor its financial components have been disclosed publicly.
Arvin Patel, Chief Licensing Officer New Segments at Nokia, stated: "We are pleased to have reached agreement on the use of Nokia's video technologies in Amazon's streaming services and devices."
Nokia positions itself as a preeminent innovator in video and multimedia technology domains, encompassing video encoding, content distribution, content personalization and hardware-related innovations. Throughout the preceding quarter-century, the organization has generated approximately 5,000 inventions supporting multimedia applications and maintains an active role in multimedia innovation and standards development.
The company notes it has allocated more than €150 billion toward research and development activities since 2000, with €4.5 billion invested in 2024 alone across cellular and multimedia technology advancement.
