NTT Docomo deploys Nokia's open RAN gear

　　Traditional basestations bundle hardware and software together from one equipment vendor. A multivendor open RAN environment allows a mobile network operator to build a cellular network using hardware and software components from different competing suppliers instead of being locked into a single proprietary vendor.

　　NTT Docomo stated that using a basestation configured for a multivendor open RAN environment allows for more flexible and rapid network deployment, improves operational efficiency, reduces communication network costs, and contributes to the development of sustainable networks.

　　The telecom operator is aiming to expand the rollout of its newest basestation across Japan.

　　"Looking ahead, our goal is to expand nationwide, with a particular focus on areas where there is high demand for communication services, such as urban areas, stadiums, and event venues. Our aim is to enhance communication quality in environments where a large number of customers are using the service simultaneously," NTT Docomo said in a statement.

　　Long-term partnership

　　NTT Docomo and Nokia have a decades-long relationship, with the equipment vendor being the RAN provider for the operator's 3G network. Nokia also helped establish NTT Docomo's multi-supplier 4G strategy.

　　In recent years, the two partners have been working to advance O-RAN-compliant 5G deployment.

　　In 2023, NTT Docomo introduced Nokia's OREX SMO (service management & orchestration) platform, a fully open RAN-compliant SMO designed for multivendor environments. Today, the platform enables automated network design, configuration and optimization across operators' multivendor O-RAN environment, with key use cases such as energy efficiency, parameter tuning and network optimization already deployed and automated.

　　In November 2025, Nokia deployed its MantaRay SON (self-organizing network) solution in NTT Docomo's multivendor LTE and 5G RAN. Integrating MantaRay SON into the network enables the seamless automation of planning, provisioning and verification processes. It also facilitates closed-loop operations, whereby configuration changes to 5G systems are automatically detected and executed, eliminating the need for human intervention. This marked the first implementation of Nokia's 5G basestation in Japan in combination with NTT Docomo's operating systems.