Nokia rolls out software upgrade to 5G

FILE PHOTO: Visitors gather outside the Nokia booth at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona

(Reuters) - Finnish telecom equipment maker Nokia <NOKIA.HE> launched on Tuesday software which enables mobile operators to upgrade their 4G radio stations to new 5G technology without visiting the site or replacing equipment.

"This solution will save the telecommunications industry potentially tens of billions of euros in site engineering and re-visit costs," Nokia said in a statement.

Nokia said the software upgrade was immediately available for about one million radios, and the reach would grow to 3.1 million by the end of the year and to over 5 million in 2021.

(Reporting by Tarmo Virki in Tallinn, editing by Louise Heavens)