Nokia

https://nokia.com

Long before the advent of the smartphone, Nokia was the undisputed global leader in mobile technology, and its contributions laid the very foundation for the connected world we know today. In the 1990s and early 2000s, the Finnish company was a primary force in developing and popularizing the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), the digital standard that replaced analog cellular networks and became the most widely used mobile technology on the planet. Nokia didn't just sell phones; it pioneered the technology within them, championing user-friendly interfaces, durable hardware (epitomized by the legendary Nokia 3310), and innovations like internal antennas. This focus on usability and reliability was instrumental in transforming the mobile phone from a niche business tool into an essential and accessible consumer product for billions.

While its mobile phone dominance waned with the rise of iOS and Android, Nokia's immense contribution to communications technology never ceased. In fact, the modern Nokia is a global powerhouse in the networking infrastructure that underpins the entire digital ecosystem. The company is a leading developer and supplier of the hardware and software that powers telecommunications networks globally. It is at the forefront of developing and deploying 5G technology, working with carriers worldwide to build the next generation of high-speed, low-latency mobile networks that enable everything from IoT devices to autonomous vehicles.

This deep technological expertise is driven by a rich history of innovation, now centered within the renowned Nokia Bell Labs. This research and development arm continues to push the boundaries of what's possible in fields like fiber optics, cloud-native network functions, and advanced radio technologies. Today, Nokia's business is not the device in your hand, but the vast, complex, and invisible network that makes that device work. From creating the standards that first enabled mass mobile communication to building the 5G and fiber networks of the future, Nokia remains one of the most fundamental architects of modern communications.