In mid-October O2 launched its 5G network in the UK. By the end of the year O2 5G services will be available in 20 towns and cities and coverage will extend to 50 areas by the summer of 2020. It's an ambitious and expensive roll-out and O2 readily admits that it can't do it all, all by itself. Collaboration within the 5G ecosystem is the hallmark of O2's 5G plans and the operator's strategic partnership with Nokia has already demonstrated that the on-going relationship is a real success.

5G has the potential to transform businesses, industrial sectors and the lives of individuals. It’s more than just pure connectivity. It has the potential to unlock new experiences and increase productivity and Nokia is working with O2 to execute its intelligence-led data-driven rollout strategy, which identifies where customers will benefit from 5G the most. Thus the initial focus is on prioritising connecting transport hubs, key business areas, and entertainment and sports venues to ensure superior customer experience. As such, it will enable businesses and enterprises to benefit from now-live 5G technology and enhance connectivity.

As Brendan O'Reilly, the CTO of O2 says, "Nokia is helping us to deliver that in one of the most high-density subscriber areas in the world. The transformational power of 5G yields huge potential for businesses and consumers alike, allowing them to get a head start on competitors."

He also explains what challenges O2 faced in launching 5G and why the operator chose Nokia out of a wide field of other manufacturers to provide the solutions it needed and wanted. Brendan O'Reilly also gives a candid insight into how Nokia's technologies are performing in a real-world, real-time, live 5G network and environment and the place Nokia has earned in O2's future development strategy.

Filmed at: O2 UK Headquarters, November, 2019