In a bold step toward supercharging Australia’s digital backbone, Optus is teaming up with Nokia to roll out next-gen tech across its 5G network—starting with regional sites that have long needed a performance boost.
This isn’t just a routine equipment upgrade—it’s a strategic leap into the future of connectivity, built on sleek, AI-ready hardware and a serious promise to deliver more speed, wider coverage, and less power-hungry infrastructure.
At the heart of this evolution is Nokia’s high-performance Habrok 32 Massive MIMO radios—and no, that’s not a Marvel character, though it might as well be.
With a 33% increase in output power and a massive cut in energy consumption, the technology means Optus customers are set to see stronger signals and faster data in more places, without burning more carbon in the process.
Habrok’s smart power-saving mode—fittingly named ‘Extreme Deep Sleep’—lets the network nap where it can, switching off unused resources without slowing anything down. It’s the kind of intelligent energy efficiency Australia’s telecom sector has desperately needed.
Supporting the muscle is Nokia’s Levante baseband solution, a kind of brain center for 5G that’s not just ultra-powerful and AI-ready, but also radically more efficient than its predecessors.
Alongside the Ponente baseband control card, Nokia’s full AirScale lineup positions Optus to handle growing traffic demands while keeping its sustainability targets on track.
The rollout follows Optus’s RAN-sharing pact with TPG Telecom—proof that the telco isn’t just modernizing in isolation, but weaving a more cooperative, interoperable mobile ecosystem for Australians.
In short: faster speeds, smarter hardware, and greener operations. It’s a win-win-win—and a strong signal (pun intended) that Optus and Nokia are playing for keeps in the 5G race.
“Our deployment with Nokia’s new Habrok massive MIMO radio and new Levante and Ponente baseband modules marks an important step in meeting the growing demand from our customers for enhanced connectivity in Australia’s regional areas.
According to Kent Wu, Optus Vice President Access Network Strategy, Planning and Quality at Optus it is vital for customers to stream their favourite content, download TV shows and movies, or upload pictures and videos onto their favourite social media platforms.
“The Habrok 32 massive MIMO radios bring the right balance of performance and cost efficiency for upgrading our 5G network to elevate consumer experiences and drive business productivity.
“Through this partnership, we are expanding our reach for customers and bringing them high-speed, reliable connectivity to more customers, communities, and enterprises,” said Wu
“The introduction of Nokia’s latest solutions in this deal strengthens our long-term partnership with Optus said Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia.
“Our AirScale Massive MIMO radios and ultra-performance baseband solutions enable fast network modernisation, providing a boost in 5G coverage and speeds for enhanced user experience while maximizing spectral efficiency,” said Uitto
“We are also helping Optus drive network sustainability through software innovations such as the extreme deep sleep energy-saving mode and the energy-saving capabilities enabled by Nokia’s ReefShark SoC chipset,” said Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia,” he said.
Nokia’s Habrok 32 Massive MIMO radios and Levante baseband cards aren’t just standalone upgrades—they’re integral pieces of the company’s powerful AirScale portfolio, a suite of 5G RAN solutions engineered for the future of mobile connectivity.
For operators like Optus, this means access to a fully scalable, high-performance ecosystem designed to meet growing network demands without compromising on energy efficiency or reliability.
