A glimpse of Nokia’s private 5G future – as staff in Europe protest

Nokia has been confirmed as Tampnet’s radio access network supplier for a large offshore 5G deployment, a deal that highlights its ongoing role in private 5G even as the company plans to sell that very business. The Tampnet contract, framed as an important step for offshore connectivity, also underlines a basic tension: Nokia is still winning private 5G work while signaling an exit from the unit that delivers it.

The timing has sharpened internal unrest. Staff across Europe are protesting Nokia’s restructuring plans, which include divesting the private 5G group. For employees, the Tampnet announcement looks less like a fresh win and more like a reminder that profitable or strategic business lines can still be put on the block. The result is a split-screen view of Nokia’s future in private networks: public commitments to customers on one side, and workforce resistance to the company’s restructuring roadmap on the other.