…launches 5G for Sweden research program

By Emeka Aginam, in Barcelona, Spain

Ahead of the 2020 5G commercial launch, Strategic Marketing Manager Networked Society Evangelist of Ericsson, Erik Kruse has called for global industry collaboration to achieve success.

Meanwhile, journey towards the successful launch of the next generation 5G technology dominated discussion at Mobile World Congress 2015 that ended yesterday in Barcelona, Spain.

At the capacity building event, participants in the global IT ecosystem discussed how best to deploy the technology after consolidating operator requirements intended to support the standardization and availability of 5G for 2020 and beyond.

Kruse who spoke to Technology Journalists in an interview at the just concluded MWC 2015 said that Ericsson is already demonstrating fundamental 5G functionality that would be critical to enabling widespread adoption for both consumer and machine-type communications (MTC).

He assured that the company had gained valuable insights on critical technology innovation that will lead to networked society. Kruse said that creating an intelligent system is a critical step towards connected society.

“We are ready for 5G journey. The journey will be successful. The whole ecosystem is getting ready for 5G. Ericsson has the state of the technology equipment to deploy 5G by 2020 commercial launch. But industry collaboration is needed”, he said.

He explained that 5G would impact the entire mobile network and associated eco-system, from devices to radio access, IP core and into the cloud.

From a radio access perspective, 5G, he added would encompass an evolution of today’s LTE technology and the addition of new radio access technologies, often in higher frequencies.

With optimism, he said that 5G technologies would impact the entire mobile network and associated eco-system, from devices to radio access, IP core and into the cloud.

For Arun Bansal, Senior Vice President, Head of Business Unit Radio, Ericsson, the company’s 5G radio test bed is where innovation meets implementation.

It certainly is a reflection of our commitment to 5G technology leadership but it’s also where we test and expand the limits of how mobility will transform society, he added.

Meanwhile, leading the way in the 5G deployment , Ericsson at the Mobile World Congress which ended in Barcelona, Spain yesterday announced the start of the ‘5G for Sweden’ research program.

With the new development, Ericsson will work together with major industrial actors and key universities and research institutes to take the lead in the digital revolution.
Driven by Ericsson, the program aims to strengthen the competiveness among industries by effectively and efficiently developing and integrating ICT solutions in products and services based on 5G standards.

The program will initiate research that can be applied across industries and to create new projects at universities and research institutes, as well as several industry pilots of possible 5G solutions.

Meanwhile, following on impressive speed test results, where the Ericsson 5G radio test bed topped 5 Gbps throughput, two new technology milestones including 5G-LTE Dual Connectivity and 5G Multipoint Connectivity have been demonstrated, and were featured at MWC 2015.

Taking the lead in 5G launch, Ericsson on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with KT, South Korea’s leading telecoms provider, for collaboration on technologies related to next-generation networks, during MWC 2015 in Barcelona, Spain.

In the MoU, Ericsson and KT agree to explore collaboration in the fields of research and development in 5G wireless communication and relevant business.

The two companies selected collaboration items to lead the 5G evolution, including: standardization, spectrum strategy, network architecture and deployment scenarios, and massive connectivity for the Internet of Things (IoT).

Ericsson’s latest 5G radio test bed innovations focus on the interactions between mobile devices and the radio access network, both indoors and outside, and include, 5G-LTE Dual Connectivity: The 5G mobile device moves between LTE and 5G radio access coverage areas, establishing simultaneous connections with both networks before seamlessly handing over.

At the just concluded MWC 2015, Ericsson showcased world-leading technology, service capabilities, and innovations