Ericsson on Thursday finalized and launched its new 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) software for wireless carriers, with the solution being based on the first implementable 5G New Radio standard completed by the 3GPP late last year in Lisbon, Portugal. The platform is ready for commercial use and is meant to support radio and core networks that will allow wireless carriers to deploy the fifth generation of mobile connectivity, Ericsson claims. The Stockholm, Sweden-based tech giant will begin offering its solution to companies starting from the fourth quarter of the year and while its pricing will likely depend on the scale of 5G projects interested wireless carriers will be looking to implement, no details on that front have been provided by the firm.
Ericsson also announced the launch of a new radio product category it calls Street Macro, describing it as a range of unique cell sites specifically designed to enable wireless connectivity in urban areas which generally allow for little flexibility in terms of networking infrastructure as they lack a large number of available locations suitable for traditional radio towers. The latest addition to Ericsson’s networking portfolio should hence accelerate network densification efforts of various mobile service providers around the globe, allowing them to provide their clients with a more seamless transition to 5G, Ericsson believes. The newly launched revision of the 5G Platform builds on the original solution introduced in early 2017 and first expanded last September. The offering is meant to be a comprehensive, all-in-one solution for 5G deployment, spanning everything from Ericsson’s 5G core and radio technology to network services, security software, and transport solutions with business and operations support systems.
The Swedish telecom giant expects its platform to be embraced by many industry leaders looking to deploy 5G networks as early as this year. Compared to the previous version of the offering, the new 5G Platform should allow for even more efficient networks and flexibility, both of which are generally considered to be crucial components of the next generation of wireless connectivity that’s expected to lead to the creation of entirely new categories of products and services.