ARCHIVE FOR THE ‘5g’ CATEGORY

 

Ericsson has been selected by SoftBank Corp. (SoftBank) as a 5G vendor for the deployment of a multi-band 5G network in Japan following a series of successful joint proof-of-concept activities that began in 2015. 

Under the agreement, Ericsson will provide SoftBank with radio access network equipment, including products from the Ericsson Radio System portfolio. This will enable SoftBank to launch 5G services on their newly granted 3.9-4.0 GHz and 29.1-29.5 GHz bands for 5G New Radio (NR).

Ericsson will reinforce SoftBank’s existing LTE network while optimizing its 5G network. Ericsson Radio System products for this purpose will be deployed in several regions. With Ericsson Radio System, SoftBank can boost its spectrum assets.

Chris Houghton, Senior Vice President, Head of Market Area North East Asia, Ericsson, says: “SoftBank and Ericsson have been partners since the 2G era and we are thrilled to support them on this latest part of their technology journey. With the help of our advanced product portfolio, SoftBank can unlock the potential of 5G for Japanese society and we look forward to building on our long-standing partnership.”

Ericsson and SoftBank initiated joint proof-of-concept activities in 2015 and have successfully expanded their collaboration to include 5G testing of multi-bands, including 28 GHz and 4.5GHz. Both companies will continue to jointly explore 5G use cases, reinforce SoftBank’s existing LTE network while optimizing its 5G network and commit to realize 5G commercial services within this fiscal year 

According to a new report from the IoT analyst firm Berg Insight, 5G will make its first appearance in the IoT market in late 2020...

The first 5G cellular IoT modules will become available to developers this year, enabling early adopters to create the first IoT devices based on the standard. Based on the experience of previous introductions of new standards, 5G will however not be an instant hit. By 2023, Berg Insight forecasts that 5G will account for just under 3 percent of the total installed base of cellular IoT devices.
 
“5G still has some way to go before it can become a mainstream technology for cellular IoT”, says Tobias Ryberg, Principal Analyst and author of the report. “Just like 4G when it was first introduced, the initial version of 5G is mostly about improving network performance and data capacity. This is only relevant for a smaller subset of high-bandwidth cellular IoT applications like connected cars, security cameras and industrial routers. The real commercial breakthrough will not happen until the massive machine type communication (mMTC) use case has been implemented in the standard.”
 
mMTC is intended as an evolution of the LTE-M/NB-IoT enhancements to the 4G standard. Since NB-IoT has only just started to appear in commercial products, there is no immediate demand for a successor. Over time, fifth generation mobile networks will however become necessary to cope with the expected exponential growth of IoT connections and data traffic.
 
The report identifies homeland security as an area where 5G cellular IoT can have a major impact already in the early 2020s. “5G enables the deployment of high-density networks of AI-supported security cameras to monitor anything form security-classified facilities to national borders or entire cities”, says Mr. Ryberg. “How this technology is used and by whom is likely to become one of the most controversial issues in the next decade.”

UK and South Korean businesses to pilot 5G technology on Seoul subways.

A new UK / South Korea 5G competition has been launched by UK Digital Minister Margot James to help prepare the UK for a future 5G rollout. Businesses are now being encouraged to apply for a unique opportunity to trial new content and services on South Korea’s transport networks.

The UK and South Korean Governments are funding a £2.4 million project to support businesses in the two countries and develop 5G technology. The project will live test content and services on the Seoul metropolitan subway system.

5G is the next generation of mobile connectivity, providing speeds up to 20 times faster than current 4G technology.

The trials will enable businesses and researchers to investigate and address a number of user and technical challenges that are crucial to the future roll out of 5G. These could include: Augmented Reality (AR) experiences in busy public spaces, giving tourists and commuters a dramatic new insight to the city and the way in which they experience it; optimisation of traffic management systems, to better manage commuter flows, reduce overcrowding, improve safety and better protect the environment; and providing uninterrupted infotainment services for commuters such as interactive content, video streaming and gaming, with more reliable and faster services across the subway network. 

Digital Minister Margot James said: "We want the UK to be a world leader in 5G services, and this collaboration with South Korea will create new opportunities for UK businesses abroad and encourage more inward investment. The UK has a huge pool of 5G scientific research and engineering talent, and I would encourage all businesses in this field to enter this innovative competition."

The funding competition is part of the UK’s 5G Testbed & Trials (5GTT) Programme, which aims to maximise the opportunities for UK businesses, especially SMEs, to develop new 5G applications and services for both domestic and global markets. It is a key part of the Government’s modern Industrial Strategy - making sure that the UK has the right infrastructure in place to be a world leader in new 5G technology.

The deadline for applying is 1st June and the competition is being managed by UK5G on behalf of The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Ericsson and Swisscom, the largest telecommunications service provider in Switzerland, have switched on the first large-scale commercial 5G network in Europe to support commercially available smartphones. 

The long-term strategic partners went live with the network in the first minute of April 17, following Swisscom’s securing of a commercial 5G license. As all the other component parts were already in place, securing the license meant the partners simply had to switch the network on.

Swisscom had already flagged the impending launch of the network, and introduced smartphone and mobile router ecosystem partners, at an April 10 ceremony in Zurich.

The commercial 5G network, and related 5G services, are now available in 54 cities and communities in Switzerland, including the major population areas: Zürich, Bern, Geneva, Basel, Lausanne and Lucerne.

Swisscom subscribers with commercial 5G smartphones and routers in covered areas will immediately benefit from the high speed, low latency and enhanced mobile broadband features of 5G services across infotainment, gaming, virtual reality, and immersive media experiences.

The 5G network switch-on also opens the door to exploring new opportunities in the Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0.

Urs Schaeppi, CEO, Swisscom says: “With the launch of the first commercial 5G network in Switzerland, we are laying the foundation for diverse, new applications and business models. This will not only be great for Switzerland but also inspiring for the people who will now be part of the digital world whether they are living in the city, countryside, or in the mountains.”

Arun Bansal, President and Head of Europe and Latin America, Ericsson, says: “This is a momentous occasion for Swisscom and Europe – 5G is now commercially live. As we continue our close ties with Swisscom, we are also strengthening the 5G ecosystem by reducing the time-to-market for chipset and device makers. We ensure multivendor operability with 5G devices and networks, enabling more 5G devices to come to the market so consumers can enjoy the benefits of 5G services.”

KT Corporation (formerly Korea Telecom) awards firm contract to launch commercial 5G in April.

Ericsson has been awarded a commercial contract with South Korea's largest telephone company, KT Corporation (KT), to deliver 5G coverage to the country.

The deal follows KT's in November to use Ericsson as their overall 5G supplier and this new arrangement is set to align with the first wave of commercially available 5G ready smartphones in April, in what will be the world's first nationwide provision of 5G commercial services.

Korean consumers are known as early adopters of technology such as advances in mobility, gaming, streaming, infotainment, and interactive functionality. Commenting on the relationship with Ericsson Jinho Choi, Vice President, Access Network Design, KT, said the imminent arrival of 5G will affirm the county's lofty position in the technology sector. “Korea is one of the most competitive and technology-advanced markets in the world," he said. "By taking a global lead to enable nationwide commercial 5G services through commercially available 5G smartphones, KT is demonstrating our commitment to our customers and showing how we can drive a global 5G ecosystem where Korea plays a key role.”

Börje Ekholm says telecommunication company will complete roll-out this year and network upgrade will compliment new technology such as Augmented Reality and autonomous vehicles.

 

Speaking at Mobile World Congress 2019 in Barcelona this month, Börje Ekholm Ericsson's CEO and President, said the firm expect to switch on the 5G network over the next 12 months and the robust network will facilitate ventures including Augmented Reality, Artificial Intelligence and autonomous vehicles.

Ericsson had previously announced 5G deals with 14 service providers across Europe, US, Asia and Australia including US Cellular and Telstrar. Memorandums of understandings have been signed with 42 other service providers and Ekholm told journalists to expect further announcements.

Citing research from the Ericsson Consumer Lab, he said that smartphone users will soon see the impact of the new coverage. "Consumers and enterprises are waiting for 5G," he explained. "One-third of smartphone globally will change either immediately or within six months to a service provider that switches on 5G."

Expanded portfolio will simplify the transition to a secure, automated and cloud-centric infrastructure with new innovations in metro, edge and core, firm says.

Juniper Networks has announced a major refresh to its metro, edge and core solutions to for service providers 5G transformation.

Comprised of IP optimized silicon enabling industry-leading 400GbE density on a new 14.4 Tb linecard, new ACX access and aggregation platforms and an expanded MX 5G router portfolio, the new solutions will help service providers achieve a holistic approach to infrastructure transformation, Juniper claims.

Commenting, Brendan Gibbs, Juniper Network's VP, Product Managament said: “Juniper Networks is giving service providers the building blocks required to create 5G-ready networks built for simplicity and agility that are capable of supporting immense traffic demands for the future. By combining the attributes of secure and automated cloud architectures, Juniper is ushering in the next era of service provider networking.” 

 

Tieto has entered into a strategic partnership with Swedish telecom operator Telia leveraging 5G mobile technology.
5G technology has been on the agenda for several years but the standard is not yet completely set and the roll-out of commercial networks will not begin until next year. But despite that, Telia and Tieto both see plenty of reasons for companies to start looking at the technology already today. As part of Telia’s partnership program, Tieto will be involved in developing solutions together with its customers and making use of the innovation-friendly environment for 5G that the operator has created. In addition to Tieto, other members of the Telia 5G Partner Program include Ericsson, Volvo Construction Equipment and Einride.

”To only view 5G as yet another communications technology is too simplistic. From our perspective, we feel that the technology is an enabler for our customers and a way for them to carry out projects and ventures that would have been very difficult – sometimes impossible – with today’s technology,” says Cecilia de Leeuw, Head of Telecom Services, Tieto.

One example is environments where requirements for reliability and security are extremely high. The technology can be used to expand infrastructure, for example to enable large numbers of connected devices that communicate with each other and send large quantities of data at high speed and controlling devices in real time.”“We are already seeing great interest from customers within the forest industry where they see opportunities to optimize its supply chain thanks to the possibilities for real-time planning that 5G technology enables. By placing connected sensors in trees, one can easily keep track of every parameter, from moisture levels and temperatures to weather conditions and possible risks like wood rot, in order to identify the exact right time for harvesting,” says de Leeuw.

Healthcare is another area where 5G technology is expected to have a major impact. Secure and stable connections will play an important role in building secure information pathways, and in the longer term the technology can lead to solutions like doctors operating surgical robots remotely – enabling people who live in faraway areas to receive advanced treatments without having to travel.

“As always when it comes to this type of potentially revolutionary technology leap, it is difficult to predict where the technology will go, how it will be utilized and what it will enable. But I feel confident that we will see many incredibly exciting services and products in the coming years that have been made possible thanks to 5G technology,” concluded de Leeuw.