Ubiquitous 4G coverage and faster access to the internet and online content, as well as improve coverage in urban and suburban areas, will now be deployed as a result of expanding the radio access network.
"This agreement with China Telecom builds on our long history of collaboration. Our deep-rooted knowledge of the Chinese market will enable China Telecom to meet the demands of an ever-growing and dynamic 4G subscriber base,” said Mike Wang, head of Nokia Networks China and ASB joint management team.
The deal will help China Telecom meet growing subscriber demand, which at the end of June the operator had nearly 207 million mobile subscribers, with 90 million users of 4G devices, an increase of more than 31 million during the first six months of 2016.
In 2015, 4G traffic grew by more than six times, and it is predicted to account for more than 90% of mobile data traffic on the network by 2017.
The agreement with Nokia paves the way towards the introduction of 5G technology and lays the foundation for China Telecom's intended launch of Voice over LTE (VoLTE) services in 2017.
Nokia is deploying its 4G technology in the following 19 provinces in China: Shanghai, Jiangsu, Shandong, Zhejiang, Hunan, Hubei, Guangxi, Fujian, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Heilongjiang, Hebei, Henan, Sichuan, Anhui, Liaoning, Guizhou, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia.
