United Group has selected Nokia to provide equipment for its next generation fibre networks across its southeastern European markets including Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia.
Recent reports by Reuters indicated that the Amsterdam-based firm was considering shunning Chinese-made network equipment in respect of US policy, and its selection of Nokia suggests that United is moving in this direction.
The group’s telecoms brands in the region include Nova, SBB, Telemach and Vivacom. In a statement, United Group pledged investment of over €500 million (US$596 million) across the next five years in a bid to improve the reach of its fibre networks in the region and overhaul its current network with10Gbps XGS-PON infrastructure.
CommsUpdate reported that United Group would also use Nokia’s WiFi-mesh-enabled equipment to improve in-building wireless internet experience.
United Group Vice President of Technology Zeljko Batistic said that the group was “helping to secure southeast Europe’s digital future by guaranteeing our next-generation network – already the region’s largest – is ready to support the future needs of our users both at home and at their places of business.”
