Despite the completion of the 5G network roll-out across India by telecom operators, Nokia anticipates a substantial demand for equipment in the years 2024-25, according to a senior company official. Tarun Chhabra, the head of mobile networks business at Nokia India, highlighted the significance of the proliferation of fixed wireless access networks in propelling the Indian telecom sector into the next phase of 5G network deployment.
“India’s requirement is still going to be substantial in 2024-25, then our factories will be fully loaded with India plus some exports,” Chhabra stated.
Notably, Nokia has experienced a significant surge in its telecom gear business in India, attributed to the rapid deployment of 5G networks. In the third-quarter financial report, Nokia’s President and CEO, Pekka Lundmark, acknowledged the company’s continued benefits from the 5G deployments in India, despite a moderated sales volume due to the normalization of deployment pace.
Chhabra emphasized the potential increase in exports from India if demand tapers, yet he remains optimistic about the continued growth momentum in the country.
Addressing the significance of Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) technology, Chhabra underscored its role in enabling mobile operators to connect new homes without the need for laying optical fibre cables, facilitating high-speed broadband access.
Moreover, Chhabra highlighted the potential monetization opportunities for telecom operators in various sectors such as ports, manufacturing, defense, and railways. These opportunities, he believes, would further stimulate the second phase of 5G deployment as more subscribers and new use cases emerge.
On the topic of 6G, Chhabra revealed that Nokia has established a 6G sensing lab in Bengaluru, alongside its extensive research and development centre housing approximately 8,000 engineers. He emphasized the company’s commitment to collaborate with various agencies, including academia, to contribute to the development of 6G standards and features, aiming to augment the intellectual property rights (IPRs) in the field to benefit India’s technological landscape.
Nokia’s active involvement in both 5G expansion and 6G development underscores its dedication to advancing India’s telecom infrastructure and technology capabilities, signalling a promising trajectory for the country’s digital future.
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