By Mattias Verbergt
Nokia (NOK) said on Monday it had signed a deal with China Mobile (CHL) worth 9.927 billion yuan ($1.51 billion), in which the Finnish wireless telecom-equipment maker will provide cloud network infrastructure to the telecommunications operator.
Under the agreement, Nokia said it will deploy base stations capable of operating multiple radio standards, including fifth-generation cellular technology, or 5G, to handle the ever-growing data usage demand in the country. Nokia will also supply China Mobile with fixed network services, such as IP routing and optical transport, as well as software, the company said.
Earlier on Monday, Nokia's Nordic competitor Ericsson AB said it has signed a seven-year software deal with Amsterdam-based VimpelCom Ltd. (VIP) worth over $1 billion, which will see Ericsson overhaul VimpelCom's IT infrastructure across 11 countries, using new software and cloud technologies.