Nokia struck a four-year deal with Italian telecoms company Eolo to deploy what it claimed will be Europe’s first standalone 5G mmWave network in Europe, touting customer experience benefits and coverage expansion.

The Finnish vendor stated it would supply equipment from its 5G AirScale portfolio for the deployment, as well as use its “compact” Shikra mmWave radios to provide connectivity.

It explained Shikra is well-suited for dense, urban environments such as shopping malls and sports stadiums, as well as support services that rely on real-time connectivity such as high-definition video streaming and augmented reality.

For Eolo, the company is looking to use the high band mmWave network to support its ambition to bridge Italy’s digital divide, both in terms of speed and coverage. Nokia added its mmWave radios can also deliver Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) services to rural or underserved communities where traditional fixed infrastructure may be “impractical or expensive to deploy”.

Guido Garrone, CEO at Eolo, said the deal with Nokia will enable it to bring “FWA connectivity up to 1Gb/s to the whole Italian market”.

The European mmWave market is expected to get a further boost next year, with UK regulator Ofcom set to hold an auction for the spectrum next year.

Spectrum is set to be auctioned in the 25.1-27.5GHz and 40.5-43.5GHz bands, with the regulator citing its suitability for “places where there are lots of people, like stadiums, busy streets, concert venues and train stations”.