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You can’t see the future,

but you can be ready for it
Build the future-proof radio network
Contents A new focus Future demands Act now Prioritize Evolve Guidelines Cloud-based Innovation 5G-ready Save energy Full solution And finally

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Secure your future

3 It’s not about the technology, but how it’s used
4 Invest for today, be ready for the future
5 Act now, avoid playing catch-up later
6 Set your future-proof network investment strategy
7 Evolve your radio network, don’t replace it
8 Three guiding principles for a new radio network
9 Harness the cloud’s speed and scalability for your customers
10 When innovation just can’t wait
11 Tested and ready for 5G
12 Save energy, save money, aim for zero emissions
13 A complete radio access solution ready for the future
14 Ten ways AirScale delivers ten times the performance

2 © Nokia 2017
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It’s not about the technology, Next

but how it’s used

As the world goes fully digital, countless new ways to use communications
will arise. Applications and services will become extraordinarily diverse.

Operators will enjoy almost unlimited opportunities to grow revenue and

improve profitability. You can’t see the future, but you can prepare for
future success by focusing on use cases instead of the nuts and bolts of
new technology.

To enable all the possibilities, networks must become ultra-flexible.

Radio networks will no longer be just about connectivity, they will be
programmable, easy to reshape in an instant to meet new demands.

Networks will evolve from 4G to 5G to support explosive growth in the

Internet of Things (IoT). So, it’s vital your investments in today’s business
success must also assure your network is future-proof.

Take the long-term view

It is no longer viable to replace chunks of infrastructure to make way for
new technologies.

How can operators ensure the decisions they make now will work way into
the future as we move into the 5G era? Exactly what is it that makes a
network future-proof?

3 © Nokia 2017
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Invest for today, Next

be ready for the future

As a decision-maker, you work to busy schedules and must achieve rapid
results. One immediate concern may be how to deliver gigabit experiences
as soon as possible to gain market share.

And as traffic volumes soar, you face the question of how to expand
network capacity without multiplying costs at the same rate. A thousand
times more traffic cannot lead to a thousand times higher energy bills.

Yet these urgent needs of today must not compromise tomorrow’s

profitability. Networks also need to be prepared for different needs,
from high throughput for virtual reality, to low latency for self-driving
vehicles, to wide connectivity for billions of IoT devices.

A new network approach is needed to meet the coming communications

needs of humans and machines.

8.4 billion
connected things in use in 20171
Build your business, save the planet
Climate change is becoming an increasingly important business pressure
point. Reducing a radio network’s carbon emissions is a positive message
20.4 billion
devices will be connected by 20201
that will help win new customers and reduce network energy costs.
It’s a double boost to operator profitability.
5G will be worth

247 billion
$US to mobile operators by 20252

4 © Nokia 2017
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Act now, avoid playing catch-up later Next

Although you can’t yet know the detail of all the coming use cases,
you can define your value proposition and plan a future-proof roadmap.

Now is the time to act because change is already upon us:

Edge computing is critical for the Internet of Things (IoT):

Networks will need to support various response-sensitive uses, from
industrial automation to autonomous driving. By 2019, 45 percent of IoT
data will be stored, processed and acted upon at the network edge3

Ultra-dense networks (UDNs) to cover indoor and outdoor urban needs:

Current sites will not meet forecast traffic demand. Extreme network density
to deliver cell edge data rates of 100 Mbps to everyone will require the
integration of macro and small cell networks4

No end to bandwidth growth:

Streaming media will grow 17 times from 2014 levels, accounting for
71 percent of the total bandwidth demand by 20205

5G launches are imminent:

For example, Telia aims to introduce 5G services in Helsinki in 20186.
Meanwhile, Korean operators are expected to build 5G in time for 2018’s
major winter sports tournament. Being first to market is a huge competitive
advantage and embeds innovation into a brand’s reputation.

Operators that invest wisely today in their radio networks will be ahead of
the curve, putting them in a strong competitive position and minimizing
future capital and operating expenditure.
The future won’t wait
Right now, delivering the gigabit experience is a prime opportunity.
But you need to move fast to win a strong competitive position at the right time.
What solutions are available now, ready for delivery?

5 © Nokia 2017
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Set your future-proof network Five future possibilities that are proven today
Next

investment strategy Many capabilities that will be needed to capture future 5G and IoT op-
portunities exist today.

All operators face a choice of technology roadmaps to help them achieve their
It is already possible to:
strategic goals. Deciding how to prioritize investments to create the highest
business value can be challenging in a world of ever-evolving technologies.

1
Compete with the fastest IT players by launching a new service in
Preparing your network for the future begins by considering what it will days or even hours, instead of the months telco networks have
need to do. Important capabilities that will be needed will include scalability conventionally needed
to instantly meet new customer demands, low latency to run demanding
use cases, and huge connectivity for vast numbers of devices. The network

2
will also need to be able to maximize all available spectrum and adopt new Run compelling applications like virtual reality at events that give
technologies the moment they arise. spectators a whole new experience with data rates beyond a gigabit

3
Build your radio network the way you want by locating radio
processing at cell sites, edge cloud or even hundreds of
kilometers away

4
Show your customers that your brand is the greenest around by
evolving to zero carbon emission base station sites

5
Win business with services that always offer the best possible
experience by using local radio conditions to adapt to the load
or quality needs of your customers

6 © Nokia 2017
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Evolve your radio network, Next

don’t replace it
Your existing network is working well and delivering great customer
experiences. It wouldn’t make sense to tear it all down and build a new
network from scratch. With Nokia AirScale radio access you don’t have to.

Nokia AirScale is the new way to build networks. One that works with and
evolves existing Nokia Flexi networks. With AirScale in place, you can quickly
deploy 5G on existing LTE bands, as well as new bands, such as mmWave.

Now you can use your existing network investments fully and take advantage
of new spectrum, winning new business along the way:

4.5G: extends mobile broadband to support new IoT and public safety use
cases by upgrading existing Nokia Flexi base stations

4.5G Pro: Nokia AirScale delivers 1 Gbps peak data rates. Right now, the
gigabit experience is a prime revenue opportunity for operators

4.9G: Offer 5G-like services with the AirScale radio platform and Cloud
RAN deployments to achieve data rates way over 1 Gbps and with ultra-low
latency of 2 ms

Nokia AirScale Radio Access supports any radio technology

(2G, 3G, TDD-LTE, FDD-LTE, 4.5G Pro, 4.9G and 5G) running
simultaneously and integrates carrier-grade Wi-Fi access.

7 © Nokia 2017
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Three guiding principles for Close the gap between telco and IT Next

a new radio network – launch an app in hours!

With Nokia AirScale radio access, you can launch a new
To deliver substantially higher performance for the future programmable
service with a lead time of just days or even hours, instead
world, radio access networks must be far more flexible than today’s
of the months telco networks have conventionally needed.
monolithic architecture allows.

1
Innovation moves from being an ambition, to become part
of the normal everyday business of delivering high quality,
Deploy services instantly reliable telco services.
Networks must able to deploy services instantly to take immediate
advantage of the latest performance enhancements. This capability
is the IT world’s hallmark, with players using cloud computing to
introduce new software continuously.

2
Open for innovation
Based on the telco cloud, AirScale radio access can address a
world of new applications, services and plug-ins created by a wide
range of developers. These can be integrated into the RAN and use
information from real radio conditions.

3
Scale to unlimited capacity and connectivity
AirScale deploys an innovative network architecture. One that’s
ready for new licensed and unlicensed spectrum and new 5G radio
technologies. Now you can scale up to deliver unlimited capacity and
IoT connectivity - all without lengthy preparation.

8 © Nokia 2017
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INSTANT SERVICE DEPLOYMENT

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Nokia AirScale Cloud RAN is
Harness the cloud’s speed and commercially proven
scalability for your customers
Nokia has shown the world’s first demonstration of
Being cloud-based, AirScale makes resources for new functions available in minutes instead of Cloud Single RAN for 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G baseband,
the months conventional networks need. You can quickly react to new demands by launching as well as 2G and 3G radio network controllers
services to boost business, or partner with over-the-top (OTT) players. in the cloud. In addition, SK Telecom in Korea
has used AirScale to achieve the world’s first
AirScale Cloud RAN delivers high bandwidth and low latency on existing assets like aggregation deployment of Cloud RAN in a commercial network.
sites and transport infrastructure. Radio functions can be run in large centralized data centers
or smaller distributed sites, or a combination of both. Yet, all components are efficiently The cloud base station features a functional split
managed as a single cloud. between real-time and non-real-time traffic,
bridging 350 km on the midhaul interface over
But that’s not all. AirScale runs Nokia Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) on the same Ethernet between the radio access point and
AirFrame data center /cloud infrastructure servers as the Cloud RAN. This makes it easy for AirFrame Data Center while maintaining excellent
applications and services to seamlessly use real radio data. Your customers can enjoy locally key performance indicators (KPIs).
relevant services with near-zero latency.

Our experience shows that the Cloud RAN

KPI values are equivalent to a legacy LTE
World’s first network. This was the first bridging of such a long
Commercial Cloud RAN
Cloud Single RAN demo a distance with Cloud RAN and the Cloud base
3G Cloud RNC
station protocol stack being split. Cloud-based
Business agility Scalability radio networks deliver the scalability and flexibility
we need to meet the future data demands of our
customers, and enable new levels of experience
Multi-layer and maximum operational efficiency, paving the
Continuous software Meet any demand,
delivery and rapid
innovation
anywhere at anytime way to 5G.

Distributed and
Evolutionary 5G readiness
Start your Mr. Jinhyo Park, SVP,
centralized
Fronthaul options, virtualization Head of N/W R&D Center of SK Telecom
including Ethernet journey
Split RT / NRT traffic
for lowest TCO
Licensed / unlicensed Run reliable low-latency
spectrum services
Legacy network support

9 © Nokia 2017
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OPEN FOR INNOVATION

Back Next

When innovation
just can’t wait Connected cells

Stay ahead of the competition. AirScale core and radio functions run on the
same Nokia AirFrame data center servers, aligning them more closely than ever.
New software can be deployed across the network without needing to upgrade
each network element, for rapid, almost continuous network upgrades.
Spectrum Users

For example, the full power of Nokia Smart Scheduler can be deployed on large
cell clusters and managed from one place to improve cell coordination, load
balancing, traffic aggregation and interference mitigation.

Radio technologies Cell sizes

SCALABILITY

Eliminate capacity
bottlenecks forever Unlimited scaling

A constant headache for network planners is to ensure capacity to always

satisfy demand, otherwise customers complain.

AirScale provides the cure through centralization that enables the deployment
of unlimited scalability and unrestricted connectivity, wherever and whenever it
is needed. That’s important because 5G will create huge traffic volume, much of
it arising unpredictably.

AirScale Base Station offers market-leading 28 Gbps capacity per system

(baseband) module. If you need more capacity, system modules can be chained With Nokia AirScale Radio Access, large pools of up to 144 cells are possible
together, while further baseband processing capacity can even be delivered and can be extended by chaining system modules with a Centralized RAN
from the cloud. for an unlimited number of connected cells.

10 © Nokia 2017
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Back Tested and ready for 5G Next

AirScale radio access is 5G ready. With a simple upgrade of radio unit software,
you can deploy 5G on existing LTE bands, sharing spectrum with LTE where
feasible. AirScale has even been tested running 5G signals on the 700 MHz
band, among others. This is the first solution proven with 5G on low frequency
bands, enabling wide coverage through by easily re-using spectrum.

AirScale is the basis for Nokia 5G FIRST, the world’s first 5G solution that’s
ready to go.

5G FIRST spans the entire network, using Nokia AirScale and AirFrame
platforms including AirScale massive MIMO Adaptive Antenna, Cloud Packet
Core and mobile transport. This complete and versatile solution is supported
by a full range of services to get you into the world of 5G as quickly and
smoothly as possible.

Unlike technology showcases using proprietary specifications, 5G FIRST is

based on well-defined market requirements. This lets you launch specific 5G
use cases immediately, knowing that your investments will deliver substantial
returns long into the future.

5G FIRST is also backed by a community program that is accelerating the

development of new 5G services.

Turning your 5G vision into business reality begins with the use cases. Nokia
5G Acceleration Services help you build a solid business case, plan your 5G
network and operations and complete the necessary transformation.

11 © Nokia 2017
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Save energy, save money, Next

aim for zero emissions

With around 80 percent of a network’s energy being consumed by base station
sites, energy efficiency makes good business sense by helping you to cut costs
and lower emissions by decoupling traffic growth from the energy bill.

Nokia AirScale Base Station works in combination with clever energy-saving

features such as very low energy use when there is no traffic, or shutting off
network layers experiencing low traffic, to reduce energy consumption. The
result is up to 60 percent higher energy efficiency. With sites consuming less
energy, you can begin to migrate your network to carbon-free energy. This
can be in the form of grid-based or Nokia base station renewable solutions to
achieve further cost savings and substantially reduced emissions.

High-power single and multiband radios reduce the number of radio units
needed at sites, making AirScale base station easier and faster to set up with
as much as 66 percent less installation time. It also blends more easily into the
background for an almost invisible, environmentally-friendly site.

AirScale has and up to

60% 50%
lower energy consumption lower total cost of ownership

Nokia AirScale Base Station features a simple one-click mounting system

that cuts installation time by 66 percent.

12 © Nokia 2017
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A complete radio access solution Next
Nokia AirScale Radio Access
ready for the future
Nokia AirScale is more than just a new base station or new radio access
software. This is an entirely new radio access network with all the
hardware and software needed to prepare you for the IoT and 5G future.

All of AirScale’s innovation is compatible with legacy radio networks so you

can combine AirScale Base Station with installed infrastructure to make
full and continued use of your existing investments.

Nokia AirScale Radio Access includes the following elements:

• Nokia AirScale Base Station comprising single, dual and triple band
radio units; and indoor and outdoor system modules
• Nokia AirScale Active Antennas
• Nokia AirScale Compact Active Antennas
• Nokia AirScale massive MIMO Adaptive Antennas
• Nokia AirScale Cloud RAN
• Nokia AirScale Cloud base station
• Nokia AirScale RNC
A more active approach to antennas
• Nokia AirScale Wi-Fi including
• Nokia AirScale Wi-Fi Controller Nokia AirScale moves antenna technology into the 5G era with active antennas
• Wi-Fi access points with several variants and by introducing massive Multiple Input Multiple Output (mMIMO) technology.
• Common software across 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G radio access technologies
These high-performance antennas boost spectral efficiency substantially,
• Nokia Zero emissions solutions
enable beamforming to focus and improve coverage, and increase capacity.
• Services Massive MIMO is a central technology of 5G.

Deploying an active antenna is a different process to that for a passive antenna.

With our expert support, you can plan and prepare your active antenna strategy
now to be confident they will work from day one.

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Ten ways AirScale delivers Next

ten times the performance

Meets the needs of data-hungry and lucrative new applications and Uses 60 percent less energy for lower costs to help
services from 5G and IoT through scalable baseband capacity improve profitability

Delivers extreme broadband speeds that are ten times the Installs easily and quickly for lower rollout costs
performance of previous generation radio access base stations

Supports multi-access edge computing for new apps that make use of Offers complete freedom since it is cloud-based and supports
local context to deliver more compelling, business-winning services different architectures

Delivers ultra-low latency, which is essential to meet the needs of Existing radio network infrastructure can be used well into the
exciting new applications like remote surgery or autonomous cars. future for the highest return on legacy investments
4.9G is already demonstrated to achieve 2 ms latency.

Delivers continuous software updates to ensure the latest capabilities Supports 2G-5G radio technologies, licensed and unlicensed spectrum
are brought on line quickly, giving you a competitive edge by delivering - no matter what devices customers use, you can deliver the services
new experiences as soon as they become available they want, seamlessly

Nokia’s ability to offer future-proofed 5G hardware,

delivered as part of a distributed, centralized or cloud
RAN architecture, differentiates it from its closest competitors.”

Michael Sullivan-Trainor,
Executive Analyst, Telecom Technology Business Research, Inc

14 © Nokia 2017
 References
Back
1 Gartner press release

2 ABI Research

3 IDC predictions

4 Nokia

5 Bell Labs mobility traffic report

6 Telia news article

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mentioned herein may be trademarks or trade names of their respective owners.

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© Nokia 2017