The next big opportunity for Nokia globally and in India is 5G, the wireless technology that will not just connect phones but also hook up any device from vehicles to household items that has an internet connection at superfast speeds, said president and CEO Rajeev Suri.

The company is already making 5G-ready AirScale base stations at its plant in Chennai, said Suri. “We will scale with success,” he said in an exclusive interview to CNBC-TV 18, his first to an Indian media company.

AirScale base stations, according to Nokia, are compact units that deliver capacity and connectivity to support traffic growth as telecom networks embrace the next-generation 5G wireless technology.

SuperSpeed Network

For the successful rollout of 5G in India, which will launch in the US later this year, it is critical that there is enough spectrum (airwaves) available per operator, said Suri. “India is moving forward fortunately to consider the right (spectrum) bands, what we call 3.4 Ghz to 3.6 Ghz, which is sort of the mid band for 5G.”

Suri, who took over the reins of Nokia in 2014, is credited with its recent transformation from a consumer company to an enterprise entity and its acquisition of Alcatel-Lucent. He also pushed the company to create a standalone software business, and ushered the return of the Nokia brand to mobile phones.

The Delhi-born Suri is excited about the potential of 5G. After the US launch, Suri, said the technology will penetrate markets like China and finally reach India by 2020.

The introduction of 5G in India will not be easy, however. Mobile users in many parts of India are struggling with 3G connections while others are still awaiting 4G networks. It also remains to be seen if Indian telecom operators whose profits are pressured by competition and regulation have the capacity to press ahead with the new technology.

Suri understands the challenge. India has one of the most loaded networks in the world, he said. “Clearly we have got some work to do.”

That said, Suri is bullish about the potential of India. “I predict that India will become one of the top three consumers of data around the world,” he says.

India Shining

Nokia plans to scale up its presence in India, said Suri, who holds an honorary doctorate from Manipal University. The two Nokia facilities in India – an R&D unit in Bengaluru and the manufacturing plant in Chennai -- will lead the company’s global innovation, according to him.

Nokia employs more than 6,000 people in the R&D facility in Bangalore and 1,000 at its Chennai plant.

Suri said Nokia has emerged the leader in the mobile network equipment space in India. Revenues in India have grown in double digits in the past one year, he said, adding that thanks to the opportunity ahead, this growth rate will continue.

“India is where our brand is probably loved the most.”

Read the full interview here

First Published:Apr 12, 2018 8:40 AM IST