Finnish telecommunications company Nokia has partnered with Reflex, a South African ICT solutions provider, to implement its Broadband Network Gateway (BNG) solution to enhance and expand Reflex's network, facilitating quicker onboarding of Internet service providers (ISPs).

According to Reflex, deploying Nokia's 7750 SR-1 BNGs integrated with carrier-grade network address translation (NAT) will enable it to benefit from more efficient use of space and power as it gears up for continued expansion across the country, especially in underserved areas.

This modernization will allow the South African ICT solutions provider to scale its network efficiently, supporting more subscribers with less equipment, lower energy consumption and reduced operational costs.

"South Africa faces a growing demand for high-speed broadband services, driven by digital transformation in both urban and rural areas, however, underserved regions remain a significant challenge," Nokia said in a statement.

"Therefore, by replacing its current BNGs with Nokia's scalable solution, Reflex is positioned to bridge the digital divide, empowering more ISPs to reach communities nationwide," Nokia continued.

Toni Pellegrino, MD of South Africa and head of network infrastructure for Southern and Eastern Africa at Nokia, emphasized that collaborating with partners like Reflex, who understand the significance of neutral host models for flexible and scalable networks, is essential to overcoming connectivity challenges across South Africa.

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Charles Castle, Reflex Carrier Solutions' commercial and sales executive, said the company's mission is to give every ISP in South Africa an instant, carrier-grade on-ramp to a Tier 1 network.

The agreement follows a partnership formed six months ago between Nokia, Reflex and ISP Net Nine Nine to extend affordable broadband services to underserved, low-income communities.

The partnership with Reflex is one of many that Nokia has entered into recently.

In April 2025, Nokia announced that it was tapping into its technology resources by deploying off-grid infrastructure, such as solar-powered panels, to connect areas once considered unreachable.

In September 2024, Nokia and iSAT Africa partnered to improve rural connectivity in the West African country of Liberia.

Telecom Egypt and Nokia partnered to bring 5G technology to Egypt in July 2024.

That partnership saw Telecom Egypt's radio access network upgraded, introducing 5G-ready services in the cities of Alexandria, Aswan, Cairo, Giza and Luxor.