Nokia won a multi-year contract with A1 Austria to supply 5G radio access and core network services, as the operator seeks to enhance capacity and connectivity for consumer and business customers.

In a statement, the vendor said it will provide “comprehensive 5G coverage” throughout Austria using RAN, base station and radio access products from its AirScale portfolio.

Nokia said deployment of the offerings is in progress, with the core element scheduled for rollout in the first half of the year.

A1 Austria plans to deploy commercial 4G and 5G network slicing to connect devices with services operating in public and private clouds.

CEO Marcus Grausam said the operator had “no hesitation” in continuing a collaboration with Nokia to realise “the full potential of 5G technology”, and its goal was to ensure the country stepped into the digital era “with the best connectivity”.

Nokia and A1 Austria have partnered on a number of projects including 3G and 4G expansion, and LTE and 5G campus networks deployment across the nation.