DOCOMO First to Deploy Nokia Multi-Vendor Base Stations Commercially
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Tokyo -- NTT DOCOMO began commercial operation on September 9, 2026 of Nokia's latest O-RAN ALLIANCE-compliant base station equipment, becoming the world's first operator to run it in a multi-vendor configuration, according to DOCOMO's own research as of that date.
Levante and Ponente cards connect to radio units from multiple vendors
The equipment uses Nokia's Levante baseband card for data processing and Ponente card for control processing. It connects to O-RAN-compliant radio units from different suppliers. DOCOMO says this lets it match radio units to each area's traffic demand: high-power units for wide coverage, and compact units for dense urban sites with limited installation space and for event venues.