A1 selects Nokia as its partner to deploy 5G in Austria

A1 and Nokia have signed a contract to expand next-generation 5G mobile communications in Austria. The contract reinforces the long-standing partnership between A1 and Nokia which has included the successful expansion of 3G and 4G / LTE mobile networks and the roll-out of Austria's largest fiber-optic network.

The contract includes both Nokia's 5G radio access and cloud-native 5G core technology. With this innovative network technology, A1 ensures seamless high-performance service and excellent user experience over wireless, fixed or converged networks, meeting the diverse and demanding network requirements for connecting people and things.

"Together with Nokia, we will leverage the full potential of 5G," says A1 CEO Marcus Grausam. "We rely on a trusted and long-standing partner with whom we have already successfully implemented numerous major projects. Now the starting signal has been given for the Austria-wide deployment of the A1 5G network, which will open up new worlds of applications and transform business models."

The innovative power of A1 and Nokia in 5G has already been demonstrated. After intensive testing, A1 has presented 5G applications for industry and implemented Austria's first campus network for Vienna Airport. In Gmünd, the first 5G city in Austria, data transfers on the A1 Network were carried out in January 2019.

Peter Wukowits, head of Nokia Austria, said: "Jointly with A1, we have demonstrated the capabilities of 5G and our unique end-to-end portfolio on a number of occasions, and now the time has come to roll it out and bring it to reality. We are more than ready and feel honoured that A1 chose Nokia as its trusted partner for this important step into the digital future."

5G is characterized not only by peak data rates up to 10 Gigabits per second, but also by extremely low latency and high energy efficiency.

5G creates the basis for ultra-reliable real-time communication between mobile devices, be it smartphones for online gaming, augmented or virtual reality, robots in digital factories or self-driving cars and thus for innovation in various areas such as mobility, transport and Industry 4.0.