Nokia  announced that it has been selected by GO Malta  as its sole strategic partner for a nationwide 5G RAN rollout in a seven-year deal. The deal will see the introduction of scalable, ultra-reliable, high-speed and low latency mobile connectivity to GO’s consumer and enterprise customers. The move will also support GO’s ambitions to drive new business opportunities via 5G networks by introducing innovative new use cases such as digital automation, Internet of Things, remote monitoring, and ‘immersive’ technologies such as virtual reality. Nokia is the incumbent vendor in this expansion deal.

Nokia will consolidate its existing infrastructure and expand and accelerate the deployment of 5G services in Malta with the delivery of equipment from its latest ReefShark System on Chip-powered AirScale equipment portfolio. Nokia’s AirScale RAN portfolio, which will cover GO’s network nationwide, covers all deployment scenarios including dense-urban environments and wide-area coverage and is designed for seamless, simple, and efficient ‘plug-in’ deployment and reduced power consumption.

Nokia is a leading global 5G supplier and has been GO’s trusted mobile partner since the introduction of 3G in 2007. GO’s 4G mobile network has been repeatedly ranked as the fastest and most reliable network by independent accreditors. GO recently launched its first IoT product which enables businesses to track valuable assets in the field and utilize real-time data to inform better decision-making.

Nikhil Patil, CEO, at GO Malta commented: “GO is one of the biggest investors in Malta’s digital infrastructure. This is another step forward in our efforts to enable, enhance and improve our customers’ lives through the latest technologies, with the fastest, uncapped mobile speeds. We are pleased to announce that through our partnership with Nokia, one of the leading 5G suppliers in the world, we are now delivering 5G services to our customers.”

Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia, stated: “We are delighted to continue our partnership with GO with the introduction of 5G services in Malta. Our latest AirScale portfolio will support GO’s ambitions for super-fast mobile connectivity that will support the foundations for cutting-edge new use cases. We look forward to delivering on this project and introducing a range of new use cases underpinned by our technology.”