Standardization

For 30 years, Nokia has defined many of the fundamental technologies used in virtually all mobile devices and networks, including consumer products, IoT-connected industrial equipment and vehicles. It has been instrumental through its GSM, 3G, LTE, 5G and now 5G-Advanced standards leadership in enabling entire solutions and ecosystems built on these.  

Nokia has played a key role in driving the first set of globally interoperable 5G standards to completion with 3GPP Release 15.  We continue to realize the holistic 5G vision within 3GPP Releases 16, 17, 18 and now with 5G-Advanced Release 19, and later with 6G.

We lead the work in O-RAN ALLIANCE with a clear vision for the future of communications and opportunities as outlined in the Nokia vision. Nokia is the #1 contributor to the overall technical work.  

Over the past two decades, we have created almost 5,000 inventions that enable multimedia products and services. We continue to play a leading role in multimedia research and standardization. Our expertise is built on continuous investment to advance the industry. 

We have been instrumental in the development of market-adopted video codecs, have a leading portfolio of Standard Essential Patents (SEPs) and a broad scope of non-SEPs. 

Through our contributions to open standards, Nokia has defined many of the fundamental technologies used in video compression today. Without these technologies, streaming high-definition video over fixed and cellular networks would not be possible.  

Learn about licensing our multimedia inventions

Standards innovation goes hand in hand with device and network implementation and forms the focus for our pioneering work in 3GPP standard development. Through active participation in standardization work, our mission is to ensure that new device architectures and interfaces deliver real-world use cases while also inspiring greater collaboration among our customers and industry partners.

As 5G-advanced evolves and we move toward 6G, our standardization experts are exploring connectivity and interaction systems in future form factors from XR to low power NR-Light devices, AI, and new power and energy management which ultimately will shape the way we live, work and interact digitally with the world around us.

Our ambition is to ensure device related standards, provide value for the end user and industry, and those standards are ready for product implementation. Our research creates device technology innovation, which we contribute to standardization for the industry community and for the benefit of consumers.

Read more about our devices standardization activities

We are leading technology standardization in the wireline infrastructure and networking services area such as wired fixed access & home networking development, transport, IP and segment routing, Ethernet VPN and IP-based data centers.

We are a leading contributor to fixed networking in IETF, IEEE, ITU-T including next generation of fiber access. Nokia invented and championed L4S (Low Latency, Low Loss, and Scalable Throughput) RFCs approved in IETF. We are the #1 declared-patent holder on copper and fiber access technology.  

In the Broadband Forum (BBF), Nokia is a leading force in the specification of wireline-wireless convergence and YANG data models.

Security standards collectively ensure that telecom networks and critical infrastructures are secure, reliable, and resilient against a wide range of threats, helping maintain the integrity and availability of critical communication services. These standards and recommendations encompass aspects such as authentication, encryption, network access control, secure communication protocols, certification, and regulatory compliance. ​

As a trusted partner for critical and secure networks, Nokia is actively contributing to these standards through our involvement in global and regional organizations, councils and programs such as 3GPP, IETF, ORAN Alliance, GSMA, NIST, ETSI, ATIS, TSDSI, ENISA, FCC CSRIC and others. A strategic standardization initiative is focused on creating new standards for quantum-safe networking, which will be crucial once a Cryptographically Relevant Quantum Computer (CRQC) becomes operational, especially in the lead-up to Q-Day, the hypothetical date when such a computer becomes a reality.​ 

Learn about our security standards

Sustainability is at the core of our business. We are actively engaged in creating standards for environmental impact assessment, energy saving and energy-efficient networks. We are also involved in Artificial Intelligence governance standardization to ensure the ethical, trustworthy and responsible use of AI. Standards support minimizing our environmental footprint, maximizing our environmental handprint and conducting responsible business practices. We are engaged in standardization activities at the ITU-T SG5, ETSI EE, ISO SC42, CEN-CENELEC and other SDOs.

Our commitment to sustainability 

Spectrum availability is a fundamental enabler of wireless communications. Nokia is engaged with regulators and industry partners to make harmonized spectrum available for cost-effective IMT deployments while protecting other services. We are a key voice on spectrum matters, recognized as a trusted partner for service providers, and a respected industry player for national administrations. We are also a key contributor to ITU-R and regional fora. 

Find out more about spectrum policy