Gigabit LTE joins previous Ericsson, Swisscom demos of 5G network slicing and NB-IoT
Swiss telecommunications provider Swisscom has selected Ericsson for the implementation of a complete digital transformation process as well as future deployments of gigabit LTE and 5G
The deployment of Swisscom’s gigabit LTE and 5G network will enable the European operator to accelerate the development of innovative enterprise use cases built on massive machine type communication (MTC) and critical MTC in fields such as factory automation, smart grids, intelligent mobility and digital health.
Under the terms of the agreement, Ericsson will continue to transform Swisscom’s mobile operations using its full stack telco cloud solution including network slicing capabilities.
In June 2017, Swisscom and Ericsson had demonstrated applications based on 5G network slicing and NB-IoT.
Swisscom will implement Ericsson’s Radio Access solutions, including small cells, and core solutions that include full stack Network Function Virtualization Infrastructure (NFVI), virtualized Evolved Packet Core and virtualized IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS). The agreement also includes network optimization services, planning, design, and system integration.
“Swisscom has been leading all generations of mobile technologies – from 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G development – in partnership with us, and now they will continue to lead the market with Gigabit LTE and 5G deployment,” Arun Bansal, SVP and Head of Europe and Latin America at Ericsson, said. “5G is enabling new market opportunities for operators, industries and society as a whole. With its ambitious 5G rollout plans, Swisscom is seizing this opportunity.”
Ericsson and Swisscom are already working intensively on an upgrade of the network to achieve speeds that will exceed 1 Gbps. The first sites will be upgraded in 11 Swiss cities by the end of 2017. In addition, customers will benefit from a boost in network capacity. The nationwide Swisscom 4G network already covers 60% of the population with speeds of 450 Mbps and 80% with speeds of 300 Mbps.
