SETAR, a communications provider in the Caribbean island country Aruba, has expanded its current partnership with Nokia with an agreement to provide what is described as a full end-to-end 5G network transformation.
In a phased approach, the deal will see Nokia upgrading RAN access and modernizing elements of the core and data management systems.
SETAR is the incumbent communications service provider in Aruba, with a leading position in mobile, cable TV, fixed and broadband. The upgrade to its network will, says Nokia, future-proof its infrastructure and offer new business services in areas like hospitality, healthcare and gaming.
The SETAR network evolution project consists of enhancing and evolving SETAR’s network architecture; site simplification to reduce site space requirements; activation of advanced features to enable higher downlink speeds; an upgrade to 5G in the first selected sites using Nokia massive MIMO technology with 64 antennas to enable new mobile broadband use cases; the introduction of a shared data layer that increases the efficiency of subscription and authentication services; and the installation of a virtualized Evolved Packet Core
This is the first end-to-end 5G deal for Nokia in Latin America, although Nokia already works with SETAR to run a 4.5G Pro-based island-wide network using Single RAN Advanced AirScale technology – a flexible network that ensures easy re-farming of spectrum as needed.
