The fifth generation of mobile networks will enable more “exciting” technologies than most consumers are anticipating, according to Fredrik Jejdling, Ericsson Executive Vice President and Head of Business Area Networks. The next wireless revolution has been devised with specific use cases in mind, being meant to deliver purpose-built innovation to allow for new applications instead of just providing companies with improved connectivity and letting them figure out the rest, Mr. Jejdling told Android Headlines. As such, the implications of 5G are essentially limitless and will have a profound effect on the global economy once the required infrastructure is in place on a large scale. The next-generation wireless standard is also likely to stay relevant for much longer than its predecessors did due to its inherent upgradeability, according to the industry veteran.
5G use cases will be one of Ericsson’s focus points at this year’s Mobile World Congress scheduled to open its doors to the public on February 26, Mr. Jejdling said, adding that the Stockholm, Sweden-based company will also dedicate a significant portion of its MWC 2018 presence to artificial intelligence technologies. Ultimately, Ericsson is hoping to be at the forefront of the 5G revolution by offering its end-to-end technologies to mobile service providers on a global level, with its newly revised 5G platform being set to become available to companies starting from the fourth quarter of the year. The latest offering from Ericsson is fully compliant with the 3GPP’s Release 15 specification, the first implementable 5G standard completed by the consortium late last year.
Besides its commercial 5G platform, Ericsson is presently in the process of facilitating the transition from 4G to 5G, with its latest step in that endeavor being introduced earlier this month in the form of Street Macro, a new radio site type meant to serve as a bridge between macro and micro solutions, having been specifically designed for urban deployment where more conventional products of comparable power may be impossible to install due to limited space available. Street Macro can hence be installed on building facades in order to boost network coverage and efficiency while maintaining a minimal physical footprint. Once the wireless industry fully embraces 5G, the total cost per gigabyte of delivered data is likely to decrease ten times compared to what 4G networks are currently offering, according to Ericsson’s recent economic study.
Ericsson MWC 2018 Portfolio