Nokia to spearhead Telefonica IP NET transformation

Technology company Nokia on Wednesday announced it has been chosen by Telefonica Spain to bring 5G and Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) connectivity to more people in Spain by upgrading the operator’s IP network.

This hardware and services deal is the final piece in a long-term architecture project that has positioned Nokia products across all layers of Telefonica’s end-to-end IP network, said a Nokia press release.

Its routers in the access and aggregation network will enable Telefonica to offer high-speed connectivity to consumers and enterprises especially in rural and remote sites.

Nokia has already been providing its IP solutions for mobile backhaul, edge, core and peering as part of Telefonica’s IP Network Fusion project. The operator designed the project as a platform for incorporating services into a single network infrastructure, offering advanced communications services and transforming the customer experience for mobile, residential and business services.

Under the final deal in the project, Telefonica will deploy the Nokia 7250 IXR products, including the 7250 IXR-e cell site router for access and the 7250 IXR-R6 for aggregation. Both are specifically designed to support edge clouds, moving applications closer to end users for a better customer experience.

The Nokia 7250 IXR products also bring unique advantages in this part of Telefonica’s IP network. They provide end-to-end support for advanced IP routing protocols such as segment routing that will lay the foundation for network slicing, providing fast and efficient automated service delivery and service assurance. The 7250 IXR products also enhance the reliability of cellular service by providing advanced timing, synchronization and quality of service capabilities, which are critical for cellular radio performance.

With the incorporation of this Nokia solution, Telefonica continues to optimize its network in order to offer high capacity and quality connectivity with wide capillarity in rural and remote locations.

Javier Gutiérrez, Strategy and Network Development Vice President, Telefonica Spain, said: “The network extensions from Nokia will help Telefonica provide a full service catalogue to our customers. Services including video streaming and multicast live video, including Telefonica´s TV platform Movistar+, voice, internet broadband, and a range of enterprise services will be available through both our fixed access and mobile infrastructure, providing increased network coverage for rural and remote sites in particular.”

Vach Kompella, Head of IP Networks Division, Nokia, said: “As one of the foremost operators in Europe, Telefonica has always focused on modernization of the network, and the connectivity of the access network is critical to success. With its end-to-end IP network now complete, Telefonica can bring new services to its customers faster, provide better service assurance and prepare for anticipated growth, with the evolution to 5G and edge computing. We are pleased to partner with Telefonica to prepare for the future.”