Nokia has announced that it is working with Chicago-based mobile network operator (MNO) US Cellular to boost capacity in ‘several’ markets, including in the Northwest Region of the United States, where networks are said to be experiencing increased traffic demand ‘due to COVID-19’.
With the FCC having granted a 60-day temporary spectrum licence to the MNO, Nokia noted in a press release that they have now utilised these additional frequencies to boost connectivity for the cellco’s customers in markets impacted by the pandemic. It said that the temporary spectrum – licensed to Advantage Spectrum in the AWS-3 Band – had been integrated remotely on Nokia Airscale Radio Access Network (RAN), bringing increased network capacity to 250 sites in parts of California, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin.
Commenting, Mike Irizarry, Executive Vice President and CTO at US Cellular, said: ‘For more than ten years, Nokia has served as a trusted partner in helping US Cellular deploy, scale and modernise our networks while keeping our customers safe from new threats. Their latest assistance in helping us launch this additional spectrum enables us to continue delivering our customers a fast, rich and uninterrupted network experience throughout this critical time.’