Nokia joins LG Uplus to tap S Korea’s 5G equipment market

Nokia, a Finnish telecom equipment giant, said on Monday it has signed an agreement with South Korean mobile carrier LG Uplus to install its next-generation indoor 5G equipment in the country.

Nokia said it will deploy its small cell AirScale Indoor systems in indoor locations across the country, including shopping malls and office buildings, for LG Uplus’ 5G network.

The system allows seamless 5G connectivity between indoor and outdoor locations and can be easily upgraded to accommodate future network expansion, according to Nokia.

South Korean telecom operators have recently focused on expanding 5G coverage in indoor locations amid complaints of lack of network availability, reports Yonhap news agency.

A government report late last year found that 5G was available in 61.8 per cent of the total 4,516 major public buildings across the country’s 85 cities.

LG Uplus uses 5G equipment from Nokia, Samsung Electronics Co., China’s Huawei Technologies Co. and Sweden’s Ericsson.