UScellular has extended a contract with Nokia for the Finnish company to provide its 5G standalone core.

UScellular is a regional carrier in the US, and currently the fourth-largest in the country, behind Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T. Like most carriers, the company is rolling out its 5G network and has tapped Nokia for its rollout. Nokia will provide its AirScale radios, which will provide both high-speed mmWave and widespread low-band 5G.

“As we continue to expand and enhance our 5G network, we value the innovation and support that Nokia provides to help us deliver a superior wireless experience to our residential and business customers,” said Mike Irizarry, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, UScellular. “As we deploy 5G SA core, Nokia brings expertise, technology excellence and the right mix of hardware, software and services to meet our requirements for high performance and low latency.”

“We are thrilled to be selected by UScellular to deliver a full 5G experience to its customers,” said Ed Cholerton, President of Nokia North America. “Our 5G SA core and 5G radios provide not only new capabilities, scale, operational efficiencies, and revenue opportunities, but drive a far better user experience that customers expect. Working with UScellular to provide the core network function software and cloud infrastructure continues our momentum in the North American standalone 5G core market.” 

The contract is a big win for Nokia as the company continues to fight for its share of the 5G market.