Nokia, TIM team to expand 5G coverage in Brazil

Reinforcing its commitment to expanding its 5G coverage and bringing the benefits to more people and businesses, global comms tech provider TIM Brasil (TIM) has selected Nokia technology to expand its 5G radio access network (RAN) coverage across 15 Brazilian states from January 2025.

In March 2024, TIM announced that it was looking to expand its overall network coverage, with a particular focus on ramping up its 5G deployment in Brazil, and continue its “journey of quality improvement”, offering premium network quality and availability to its customers. It has identified key areas for improvement, including end-to-end visibility, automation and network quality.

In addition, the operator said that it was seeking to elevate customers’ quality of experience and quality of service to gain better insights into customer perception and satisfaction through visibility, monitoring and performance analytics.

In particular, TIM embarked on deploying technology that it was confident would usher in a new era of telecommunications infrastructure in Brazil, providing customers and businesses with a “superior experience ... setting new industry standards”. 

The new partnership will look to increase the number of municipalities with access to 5G, bringing the benefits of secure, ultra-high-speed connectivity to a wider population. The expansion will also enable enterprises in these regions to digitalise their operations, fostering innovation and driving economic growth.

“This agreement is a significant milestone in our long-standing partnership with Nokia, highlighting our mutual dedication to technological innovation,” said TIM Brasil CTO Marco Di Costanzo, commenting on the partnership.

“As 5G continues revolutionizing connectivity, we are committed to extending these advancements to more Brazilians. This will benefit industries and consumers with new services, solidifying TIM's position as Brazil's leading 5G provider based on the number of sites.”

Under the deal, Nokia will supply a range of equipment from its 5G AirScale portfolio, including baseband, Massive MIMO radios, and Remote Radio Head products. These are all powered by its ReefShark System-on-Chip technology, said to offer increased energy-efficiency, and combine to provide superior coverage and capacity.

TIM will also make use of Nokia’s intelligent MantaRay Networks Management system, which incorporates AI functionalities, for improved network monitoring and management. Nokia will also provide services, including digital deployment, optimisation and technical support services.

“We are thrilled to partner with TIM to expand their 5G network in Brazil,” added Tommi Uitto, president of mobile networks at Nokia. “This collaboration demonstrates our dedication to providing cutting-edge technology that empowers TIM to deliver the fastest and most reliable 5G connectivity to their customers. Our best-in-class, energy-efficient radio solutions will play a key role in achieving this goal.”

Nokia recently announced another AirScale deployment in Brazil, teaming with telecoms infrastructure organisation Solis Tower Telecom do Brasil to offer a flexible and competitive digital agriculture solution, bringing much-needed connectivity to agribusinesses in rural areas, expanding private wireless networks that will help to deliver gains in productivity, efficiency and sustainability, and ultimately an increase in food production.