NTT Docomo launches Nokia open RAN deployment for multivendor 5G networks

This commercial launch validates the maturity of multivendor environments, allowing operators to mix hardware and software from competing suppliers rather than relying on proprietary stacks. For the streaming ecosystem, this shift toward open architectures promises more flexible and rapid network scaling in high-density areas like stadiums, where bandwidth demand often peaks. By decoupling radio units from baseband processing, NTT Docomo can optimize specific network segments for high-capacity video delivery while reducing operational costs. Watch for the nationwide expansion of these basestations across Japan to serve as a blueprint for other global tier-1 operators transitioning to O-RAN.

Nokia has been steadily expanding its O-RAN footprint across tier-one operators, positioning itself as a leading supplier of open-interface baseband hardware. In early 2026, Nokia confirmed its O-RAN portfolio had been selected by multiple operators across Asia-Pacific and Europe for commercial 5G rollouts, reinforcing its competitive standing against Ericsson and Samsung in the disaggregated RAN market. NTT Docomo's decision to integrate Nokia's Levante and Ponente baseband cards alongside existing vendors reflects a broader industry trend where Japanese operators are moving fastest on multivendor deployments, with Rakuten Mobile having already built its entire 4G and 5G network on fully virtualized O-RAN architecture since 2020. The O-RAN Alliance, which defines the open interfaces that make such interoperability possible, published its Release 003 specifications in late 2025, adding support for energy-saving features and AI-driven radio resource management, both of which are directly relevant to NTT Docomo's stated goals of improving power efficiency in dense urban cells.

On the business side, NTT Docomo's parent company NTT has been investing heavily in O-RAN ecosystem development through its OREX (Open RAN Ecosystem) initiative. NTT Docomo and NEC jointly launched OREX SMO in 2024 as a commercial service management and orchestration platform designed to simplify multivendor RAN operations, providing the software layer that coordinates baseband units from different suppliers. This orchestration capability is critical for operators seeking to avoid the operational complexity that has historically slowed O-RAN adoption. Meanwhile, Nokia's MantaRay SON platform was recognized in 2025 as one of the leading self-organizing network solutions capable of automating parameter tuning across heterogeneous vendor environments, which directly supports the kind of automated optimization NTT Docomo needs to manage mixed-vendor cells at scale.

Technical benchmarks for O-RAN baseband performance remain a key differentiator as operators evaluate suppliers. Nokia's AirScale baseband platform, which houses the Levante and Ponente cards, was tested by independent labs in 2025 and demonstrated up to 30% lower power consumption per cell compared to previous-generation hardware, a figure that aligns with NTT Docomo's emphasis on energy efficiency for high-density deployments. The O-RAN Alliance's PlugFest events have also served as validation grounds, with the 2025 PlugFest in Japan featuring interoperability tests among Nokia, NEC, Fujitsu, and Samsung equipment running on shared O-RAN fronthaul interfaces, confirming that the multivendor integration NTT Docomo is now commercializing has been stress-tested across multiple supplier combinations. These results give operators confidence that open RAN can match or exceed the performance of traditional single-vendor deployments in production environments.