FROM THE INDUSTRY
Nokia is still synonymous with the first mobile phones that we are all so nostalgic and affectionate for, I certainly am. Does that legacy help or hinder when you’re talking to enterprise and cloud customers? It’s a double-edged sword. On one hand, the brand still stands for quality and reliability — which helps open doors. On the other, people are sometimes surprised to learn how deep our network and infrastructure capabilities go. In telecoms, critical national infrastructure and CSP markets, we’re well known. But in cloud and data centre circles, we’re a “rediscovery” story. The mobile heritage is something we embrace — it gives us credibility — but it’s also nice to remind people that we’re powering the world’s networks, not just making handsets. What is your view on the current threat status of cybersecurity? It’s an extremely serious threat. Around 43% of UK businesses experienced some kind of cyberattack last year. ISPs are targeted constantly; they just don’t publicise it. DDoS attacks, in particular, are relentless. We ran a trial with one major customer and found they were facing multiple attacks per day — most of which they didn’t even know about. That’s why detection and automation are crucial. Then there’s the next big threat: quantum computing. When “Q-Day” arrives — the day when quantum computers become
widely commercially available and that can break today’s encryption — it could theoretically decrypt data in minutes that would take a classical computer millions of years. So, we’re already deploying quantum-safe network technology. The UK’s NCSC has said all networks must be post-quantum secure by 2035, and to get there, you have to start now. We’ve partnered with Colt and Honeywell to deliver quantum-safe optical and IP networking, even using satellite infrastructure. It’s about protecting data today from the “harvest now, decrypt later” risk — where hackers steal encrypted data now, waiting for the tools to unlock it later. That’s rather terrifying. As far as broadband is concerned, where do you see the UK market heading next? The UK’s come a long way. We’ve gone from around 3% fibre-to-the-home five years ago to nearly 80% coverage today. That’s a phenomenal achievement, that we are proud to be a big part of. The last five years have been all about network build — getting fibre in the ground and rolling out 5G. The next five years will be about network intelligence — automating, securing and optimising what we’ve built. For the alt-nets, the focus has shifted. The easy capital is gone; investors now want returns. It’s no longer “build it and they will come” — it’s about connecting customers, generating ARPU and proving sustainability. That’s why we’re starting to see consolidation. There are too many networks with overlapping footprints
and different architectures. Integration is complex — everyone’s built differently — but it’s necessary. My view is we’ll end up with maybe five to ten significant players, rather than the dozens we have now. That seems to echo what we heard at the INCA Summit — people were predicting three to five survivors, but you’re more optimistic. Possibly. The broadband landscape’s more like a patchwork quilt than a winner- takes-all market. Local networks have real value — they know their customers and communities. Wholesaling across each other’s networks will help them coexist. I don’t see it consolidating down to one or two giants like cable did. A strong middle tier will remain. It’s been a fascinating discussion — from AI to quantum to consolidation! Final word? The UK’s infrastructure story is only half written. We’ve built the pipes; now we need to make them smart, sustainable and secure. That’s where Nokia sees its mission — turning networks from passive infrastructure into intelligent systems that power the AI economy.
www.nokia.com
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DECEMBER 2025 Volume 47 No.4
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