North America government relations and public affairs

We are at the forefront of the creation and deployment of technologies enabling communities that are smarter, safer, and more sustainable. To meet the growing demand for mobile broadband and deploy next-generation networks, as it extends the fiber infrastructure that is the gold standard for broadband to the home, we advocate for policies that will accelerate infrastructure deployment. Nokia supports the strong efforts by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission that seek to provide greater certainty regarding the permitting process for siting wireless equipment to reach more communities in the U.S. The next generation of wireless requires unprecedented amounts of infrastructure to bring the network closer to the user. To meet consumer demand, the wireless industry is investing more than ever in broadband infrastructure to provide the network connectivity to North America’s consumers and enterprises.

5G will provide the speed, low latency, and connectivity to enable a new generation of wireless applications and services. Our customers are already deploying Nokia’s equipment powered by the 5th Generation of Wireless, or 5G, which will drive investment, create new jobs, and spur economic growth in North America. We are a leader in technology development and standardization of 5G with over 3,000 5G patent declarations worldwide. In addition to continuing to evolve and deploy 5G, Nokia is working to enhance network capabilities and flexibility for our customers by championing the development of Open Radio Access Networks, or O-RAN, technologies. And, with early 6G deployments expected before the end of the decade, Nokia is already engaged in foundational 6G research, always looking ahead to push the envelope of innovation.

The wireless future in North America depends on optimizing access to spectrum, the airwaves that enable us to communicate wherever we go. Lower frequency bands, on which our wireless networks historically relied are ideal for covering large geographies and going through walls, trees and other structures, but not much of this “low-band” spectrum is available. As such, we have looked to “mid-band” and “high-band” spectrum for the larger bandwidth to power the super-fast network performance consumers demand in today’s wireless networks. These bands are better used for shorter distances, precisely what you need deliver superfast speeds with near-zero delay, since those features demand network infrastructure that is close to the user.

Today, our public policy efforts focus on achieving a balance of low-, mid-and high-band spectrum to achieve the coverage and performance needs consumers and industry demand. In addition to advocating for more spectrum, Nokia also promotes creative solutions to more efficient use spectrum resources to support multiple users and use cases. Nokia is a leader in sharing technologies behind recent innovative dynamic sharing frameworks instituted in North America that have allowed coexistence of terrestrial and satellite uses, fixed and mobile, Federal and commercial, and the list goes on. In summary, we are a leading voice in advocating for policies that will fuel our connected future.

The threat to wireless networks in today’s world is real and complicated with no single solution. We provide multi-faceted, end-to-end solutions to ensure digital security and are on the frontlines in educating lawmakers about the risks of compromised networks and policies that will help ensure a secure future. Nokia is proud of our strong reputation as a trusted network provider. Nokia has earned that reputation through intensive internal controls ranging from the ethical behavior of employees to how products -- especially third-party components -- are reviewed to ensure no back doors or other high-risk implementations are allowed into the final product. In sum, Nokia secures its supply chain through a rigorous “Design for Security” governance model as well as proactive monitoring of live networks to better understand recent and imminent threats.