Samsung to supply 5G network solutions to Spark New Zealand
Samsung Electronics will supply its network solutions to Spark New Zealand for the latter's 5G network in 2020, the company has said.
The South Korean tech giant will supply the mobile carrier with its latest 5G New Radio (NR) solutions, including Massive Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) radios that will be cost-effective and easy to scale, it said.
The company was named as Spark's preferred vendor in November, alongside Nokia and Huawei. Previously, the New Zealand telco was banned from using Huawei's equipment for its 5G radio access network.
With the agreement with Spark, New Zealand becomes the latest country to be added to the company's widening global footprint.
Samsung has so far been a major vendor for South Korean telcos -- SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus -- having provided equipment for their commercial 5G network launches in April 2019.
It has also been supplying its mmWave 5G solutions to the US's major carriers, while being a major vendor for Japanese telco KDDI, which plans to launch its 5G networks this year.
In December, Samsung signed a supply deal for 5G and LTE-A solutions with Canada's Videotron, marking its first entry to the country in telecom equipment.
Last month, it also clinched a deal with US Cellular, the fifth-largest mobile carrier in the US, to supply them with 5G NR solutions.
Samsung has previously said that it wanted 20% market share in telecom equipment by 2020, leveraging its supply in South Korea and the US as foundations for global growth.
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