• Nokia will supply new radio, baseband units and network management software for Taiwan Mobile’s 5G network
• The upgrade adds capacity with predictive maintenance, energy management and automated network optimisation
The fact
Nokia signed an agreement on 14 July to expand Taiwan Mobile's 5G network using AirScale baseband and new radio equipment, building on an existing partnership. Nokia said the deployment aims to increase network capacity and uplink performance, but the companies did not disclose its value, timeline or number of sites.
The agreement includes Nokia’s predictive device analytics service and MantaRay SON software for predictive maintenance, traffic-aware energy management and automated optimisation. Nokia linked this upgrade to future network slicing and RedCap capabilities, though it did not provide launch dates or performance targets.
The Assessment
The deal is less about radio kit and more about locking in the software layer that runs it. By bundling AirScale hardware with MantaRay SON and predictive analytics, Nokia is selling an operating model, not just a capacity upgrade.
For BTW readers, the competitive move is clear. Vendors that supply both RAN infrastructure and the automation layer can tie operators into a single management stack. Taiwan Mobile's choice to extend an existing relationship rather than split radio and software across vendors signals where the market is heading — whoever controls the automation layer controls the upgrade roadmap.
What to watch
Watch how many sites Taiwan Mobile brings under MantaRay SON control and whether energy and fault metrics improve against baseline. Also track whether Nokia replicates this hardware-plus-software bundle with other APAC operators.