Costa Rica joined the standalone (SA) 5G set through a deployment of Nokia equipment for operator Radiografica Costarricense (RACSA), a project which will ultimately cover 500 sites.

The Finnish vendor fulfilled the contract with goods from its AirScale equipment range, with the initial deployment covering 30 sites in major cities including San Jose, Cartago and Limon, along with some rural areas.

Nokia stated the target for 2024 is to connect 170 sites and then expand to the full 500. It predicted the data rates and low latency provided by SA 5G will benefit consumers and businesses, along with boosting development of IoT services.

Fixed wireless access capability is another feature of the network, Nokia stated, pointing to a GSMA Intelligence prediction the method is set for steady growth when compared to other broadband connectivity approaches.

Alongside Massive MIMO radios, remote radio heads and base stations, RACSA selected Nokia’s MantaRay network management set-up. The vendor explained this provides a “unified and automated view of the network” to boost the operator’s control.

The deployment also involved compatible Nokia core infrastructure.

RACSA GM Mauricio Barrantes said the rollout of SA 5G is a “pivotal step in Costa Rica’s digital transformation”, which will enhance “the quality of life” for citizens.