Ericsson and Nokia have been boosted by separate deals, with the Finnish vendor set to supply 5G equipment to T-Mobile and the Swedish telco resolving a patent disagreement with LG.
The US operator will deploy 5G ready end-to-end Nokia kit, as well as use the vendor’s software and service portfolio in a $3.5 billion multi-year deal.
The two telcos will develop, test and launch new connectivity services spanning the likes of enterprise, smart cities, utilities and transportation.
Their first steps will be to build a nationwide network based on 600MHz and 28GHz millimetre wave technology.
Ashish Chowdhary, Chief Customer Operations Officer, Nokia, said: “Nokia and T-Mobile will advance the large-scale deployment of 5G services throughout the United States.
“This is a testament to our companies’ strong and productive working relationship, one which has produced several important technological milestones in recent months, and which now allows us to make 5G a commercial reality.”
Meanwhile, Ericsson has agreed a global patent agreement for cellular technology with LG, bringing a disagreement between the companies to an end.
Earlier this year, Ericsson accused the Korean company of not paying a fair price for its technology and infringing its patents.
The new deal, an extension of a longstanding relationship between the two companies, is a cross-licence agreement that spans 2G, 3G, and 4G essential patents.
Ericsson said the agreement was important to support it in investing in innovation.
Its Chief Intellectual Property Officer Gustav Brismark added: “We are very pleased with this new agreement with LG. It will allow us to focus on developing new technology for the global market and add to our already industry-leading patent portfolio. The agreement confirms the value of our patent portfolio and validates our ability to license it on FRAND terms and conditions.”