Photo credit: NOKIA

Nokia has secured a three-year contract with Telecom Italia (TIM) to expand and modernize the telco’s 5G infrastructure across Italy. The partnership, awarded through a competitive tender process, aims to extend high-speed connectivity to underserved areas, including smaller towns and rural communities, supporting TIM’s efforts to narrow the digital divide.

Under the agreement, Nokia will supply its latest AI-ready AirScale Radio Access Network (RAN) equipment, such as Habrok 32 Massive MIMO radios and Pandion FDD multi-band remote radio heads designed for flexible deployment. The deal also covers Nokia’s Lodos high-performance 4G/5G capacity card, powered by the energy-efficient ReefShark System-on-Chip, to enhance both network capability and sustainability.

The partnership further includes expanded deployment of Nokia’s MantaRay SON (self-organizing network) solution, which applies AI to automate and optimize network performance.

TIM CEO Pietro Labriola said the collaboration will reinforce the company’s leadership in next-generation 5G connectivity. Nokia CEO Justin Hotard described the agreement as a strategic step toward enabling AI-driven services and building smarter, more energy-efficient infrastructure.

Overall, the initiative is expected to accelerate Italy’s digital transformation by delivering faster, greener, and more accessible 5G coverage across the country.