Nokia, NTT Data expand global private 5G partnership

Nokia has announced a global go-to-market partnership with digital business and IT services firm NTT Data to advance private 5G transformation in key sectors such as airports and smart cities.

The companies said the promise of private 5G continues to attract customers worldwide for its ultra-fast low-latency connectivity, as well as its enhanced security and scalability, essential for smart city initiatives, automation and actionable data sharing in real time to improve operations across industries and enable future technology advancements.

The partners are also looking to tap into a share of the global private 5G market that market research firm IDC believes will exceed $8bn by 2026. The collaboration is intended to lay the foundation for more connected and efficient urban environments and create a synergy that ensures the successful delivery of private 5G that supports digital transformation initiatives.

NTT Data brings to the collaboration a partner ecosystem designed for the development, implementation and management of applications, infrastructure and connectivity. The company has been expanding its private 5G ecosystem, working with partners and clients to unlock new efficiencies and innovations, signalling a massive uptick in the private network space. The list of firms includes brands such as Cisco, Schneider Electric, Zebra Technologies, Qualcomm, SES and BMW.

For its part, Nokia’s anyRAN for Enterprise approach is designed to offer more choice and flexibility for enterprises through collaboration systems integrators such as NTT Data and cloud core solution providers alongside Nokia’s AirScale radio access portfolio to suit their specific requirements and accelerate and simplify the adoption of private 5G.

Initially, Nokia and NTT Data will focus on the North American, European and APAC markets, and will build on private 5G deployments such as Fraport AG, the Cologne Bonn airports, City of Las Vegas and the city of Brownsville.

In the latter case, the partnership claims to have already brought tangible results, transforming the City of Brownsville in Southern Texas from the worst-connected city, according to NTIA, to one of the best-connected municipalities, for example.

Brownsville is the largest city in the Rio Grande Valley and features a multi-modal transportation system, including rail, land, sea, air and space port. The city has experienced significant growth driven by high quality of life, a nearby SpaceX Starbase complex, the Texas LNG export facility, and the deep-water Port of Brownsville, as well as Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport.

The deployment of the smart city tech is designed to take services beyond the norm by using real-time data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) empowered by a seamless and secure wireless network. Providing advanced digital capabilities and secure wireless connectivity is seen as being the key to helping the city deliver optimal benefits to citizens and businesses while effectively shaping sustainable future growth.

Private 5G is at the heart of this transformation, attributed with supporting the city’s immediate needs for seamless connectivity to manage and operate applications for increased public safety, operational efficiency and sustainability, and offers flexibility and scalability for future demand and use cases.

The city uses Nokia’s 5G radio access portfolio and NTT Data’s Private 5G Network-as-a-Service platform (P5G), which delivers high-bandwidth, low-latency wireless capabilities for mission-critical environments.

“As Brownsville continues to grow as a prominent tech hub, the deployment of a private 5G network is essential,” said Jorge Cardenas, chief information officer at Brownsville.

“This cutting-edge network will provide faster connectivity and foster the adoption of emerging technologies. By prioritising private 5G, we’re positioning Brownsville to stay ahead in technological innovation and economic progress.”