iTWire - US Cellular picks Ericsson for 5G rural upgrade (2024)

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Wednesday, 07 August 2024 11:30

US Cellular picks Ericsson for 5G rural upgrade

By Kenn Anthony Mendoza

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Regional US carrier US Cellular has deployed the technology of Swedish telco equipment provider Ericsson to support its 5G network infrastructure upgrade in rural areas.

Published in5G

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• NRTC taps Ericsson to bring 4G and 5G networks to co-ops in the US

  in 5G

  By Kenn Anthony Mendoza

  The National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC) has partnered with Swedish telco vendor Ericsson to offer 4G and 5G networks to small- and mid-sized electronic cooperatives (co-ops) across the US.

  NRTC led a consortium and collaborated with telecoms and energy utility provider Linc to offer core hosting solutions and specialist private network provider Anterix to provide sub-licensed spectrum at 900MHz.

  NRTC also collaborated with a roster of solution providers working in the smart grid space.

  RCR Wireless News reported NRTC is selling to utilities of “all sizes and terrains.”

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  “The partnership will also allow NRTC members to construct, own, secure, and physically maintain LTE/5G-ready sites as needed to provide wireless coverage and capacity for legacy system retirement and grid modernization objectives,” Ericsson said in a statement.

  Southern Linc’s core hosting solution delivers Ericsson’s dual-mode 5G Core solution, built on Ericsson’s Cloud Native Infrastructure to NRTC member cooperatives and will provide the core connectivity for the private Radio Access Network.

  Combined with Ericsson Router 6000 and Mini-Link 6000 offerings, this will provide a framework for utilities to enhance their network capabilities while maintaining the highest standards of security and reliability.

• Ericsson and 2degrees strike new agreement for RAN five-year partnership extension

  in Deals

  By Gordon Peters

  Ericsson(NASDAQ: ERIC) and New Zealand communications services providers 2degrees, have announced a five-year extension to their existing joint radio access network (RAN) technology partnership.

  The new deal follows the 2021 agreement, where Ericsson and 2degrees first partnered to modernise the service provider’s RAN network with products and solutions from the Ericsson Radio System portfolio.

  Ericsson says the products and services being deployed include all RAN 3G / 4G / 5G products available today from Ericsson’s portfolio (AIR, Basebands, RAN Processors, Ericsson Antenna Systems, Power systems including Lithium-Ion Batteries) and future products including Generator 4 RAN Processors.

  Under the terms of the partnership extension, Ericsson says it will continue to accelerate 2degrees’ network modernisation program with a focus on 5G deployment nationwide while replacing and enhancing mobile 3G and 4G infrastructure at sites - and the expansion of the nation-wide network modernisation project will see 2degrees gain greater capacity and performance, delivering better experiences and services to consumer and business customers throughout the country.

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  Mark Callander, CEO, 2degrees, says: “This agreement is testament to the important work we’ve done in collaboration with Ericsson to deliver an advanced mobile network in New Zealand. Ericsson’s technology underpins some of the world’s best 5G networks. The industry-leading technology 2degrees is rolling out in partnership with Ericsson will see our customers benefit even further from the cutting-edge innovation we have accomplished together.”

  Emilio Romeo, Head of Ericsson, New Zealand and Australia, says: “This partnership extension validates and further supports the strength of the work Ericsson has done to deliver on 2degrees’ vision to be the number-one performing network in New Zealand as it strives to set the industry benchmark for network performance. Through our collaboration with 2degrees, Ericsson’s RAN innovation is transforming the telecommunications landscape in New Zealand and providing a superior customer experience and service for all New Zealanders.”

• Optus deploys Ericsson’s Interference Sensing technology

  in Business Telecoms

  By Kenn Anthony Mendoza

  Australian telco Optus in collaboration with Swedish vendor Ericsson has piloted a live network using Ericsson’s Interference Sensing technology to improve performance by sensing and mitigating inter cell interference in real time.

  A feature within Ericsson’s Massive MIMO 5G Advanced portfolio, Interference Sensing uses Ericsson’s algorithm to sense and reduce inter cell interference, resulting in higher user throughput and network capacity.

  Optus claimed an average increase in user throughput of 22% was achieved during pilot testing, across multiple users and cells in a commercial network deployment, with the Interference Sensing functionality enabled.

  Ericsson’s solution aims to transform network operations, improve performance, and deliver user experience.

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  Optus said the Interference Sensing technology lays the foundation for Ericsson’s 5G advanced performance capabilities.

  The technology solves issues involving increased inter cell interference as 5G traffic load increases. The pilot in Optus’ live network showcased how Interference Sensing addresses inter cell interference issues as 5G networks densify.

  Aside from faster and better data experience for customer, Optus vice president access network strategy, planning, and quality Kent Wu identified the technology will allow the implementation of new and improved use cases for video streaming, enterprise, and consumer mobile cloud gaming services, stadium 5G service application.

  “Interference Sensing provides up to 40% capacity gain on existing Massive MIMO hardware with only a software upgrade – an achievement that has earned industry recognition,” claimed Ericsson Networks head of product line cloud and purpose-built 5G ran Sibel Tombaz.

  “It has been an immense opportunity to collaborate with Optus for this first demonstration of our technology on their network. This technology will enable Optus to unlock new capacity and speed capabilities, opening the door to exciting use cases for consumers and enterprises in the 5G Advanced era.”

  This first appeared in the subscription newsletter CommsWire on 2 July 2024.

• Telstra InfraCo ‘enhances wavelength resilience’ with launch of Core Restoration

  in Business Telecommunications

  By Gordon Peters

  Digital infrastructure solutions provider Telstra InfraCo has announced the launch of a Core Restoration feature which will provide a “new resiliency option” for customers with high-capacity wavelength services.

  Telstra InfraCo says this feature automatically reroutes traffic to an alternate fibre path if an outage occurs on the primary path in the core network. It’s an intelligent, software-driven failover which typically happens within minutes, minimising downtime - “ideal for customers who want more protection
  than a traditional unprotected service, but do not need all the features of a fully protected service”.

  “The feature is available on new single access Wavelength service connections with bandwidths of 100Gbps or 400Gbps across 6 intercapital routes. It’s aimed at customers who want to reduce the risk of disruption from outages in the core network and reduce downtime if an outage occurs,” Telstra InfraCo explained.

  Dipan Patel, Telstra InfraCo’s Digital Infrastructure Solutions Executive, said InfraCo is focused on delivering the resilient, redundant connectivity necessary for today’s digital economy.

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  “Australian businesses, government organisations and consumers increasingly rely on digital tools and services. Issues on InfraCo’s core fibre network are rare, butwhen they happen it’s vital to get our customers’ services back up and running fast. After a successful customer trial, we’re pleased to offer this feature to all our wholesale customers. The Core Restoration feature will help service providers minimise disruption for their customers and users by restoring traffic to another path in minutes,” Patel said.

  “Core Restoration is a unique enhancement as it draws on the three diverse fibre paths on our 6 intercapital routes,” “It is another step in our strategy to leverage our investment in networks and technologies to deliver the most reliable, resilient, high-capacity wavelength services for our customers.”

  According to Telstra InfraCo, core restoration adds to the range of resilience options on Wholesale Wavelength services, giving customers more choice in how to tailor solutions to suit their needs

  “Telstra, through its technology partner Ericsson, is using Ciena’s 6500 Packet-Optical Platform powered by WaveLogic 5 Extreme (WL5e) programmable 800Gbps coherent technology. The photonic control plane feature in Ciena’s 6500 platform is powering Telstra’s core-restoration feature, enabling the restoration of affected traffic by intelligently re-routing it through an alternative route over a diverse fibre link.”

  “There are many reasons for potential service disruption, but the dizzying rate of digitisation in Australia and around the world leaves little room for interruptions to connectivity. Using the 6500’s photonic control plane, Telstra is staying ahead of the game by proactively exploring options to boost the availability and efficiency of its network,” said Matt Hayes, Regional Managing Director, Ciena.

  Emilio Romeo, Head of Ericsson Australia and New Zealand, says: “We are pleased to work with Telstra and Ciena to drive this innovative core restoration advancement in Telstra’s network. It will not only minimise downtime but also strengthen the resilience of Australia’s telecommunications infrastructure. Innovations like these ensure reliable and efficient connectivity for Australian businesses and consumers.”

• Telsoc Event - The Henry Sutton Oration

  in Guest Events

  By TelSoc

  GUEST EVENT: Each year, TelSoc hosts the Henry Sutton Oration in Melbourne to commemorate the distinguished but scarcely known Victorian scientist, engineer, and inventor from Ballarat. Please join us for TelSoc’s Henry Sutton Oration for 2024 on Tuesday, 28 May.

  The Henry Sutton Oration is named after Henry Sutton, a prolific Victorian inventor and innovator. Henry Sutton was born in Ballarat, Victoria in 1855. He was an Australian designer, engineer, and inventor credited with contributions to early developments in electricity, aviation, wireless communication, printing, photography, and telephony. A contemporary of Nikolai Tesla and Alexander Graham Bell, he met with each of them to discuss their relative discoveries and inventions.

  This year's Orator is Emilio Romeo, CEO and managing director of Ericsson Australia and New Zealand
  The Oration is called: The Next Wave of Digitisation: Accelerating the shift to differentiated value
  Digitalisation and mobile technology have revolutionised the world and enriched the lives of almost every person on earth. Over the coming years, we’ll see an acceleration of major cross-industry trends such as electrification, the green revolution, resilient supply chains, and efficiency through automation.

  Emilio Romeo was appointed CEO and managing director of Ericsson Australia and New Zealand in January 2016. He is member of the leadership team for Market Area Southeast Asia, India, and Oceania, and leads the Australian and New Zealand leadership team, having previously been a member for over eight years. Emilio is an experienced business leader with over 30 years experience in the telecommunications and IT industry.

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  As a senior executive at Ericsson for over 20 years, Emilio has held a number of senior leadership roles including director, Telstra customer unit where he was responsible for securing and building Ericsson’s strategic partnership over five years. Prior to this, he was the director, Vodafone Hutchinson Australia customer unit and director, Hutchinson and 3GIS customer units. He has also held various senior sales and IT management positions within Ericsson and before this, BHP.
  Taking pride in customer relationships, he has been instrumental in driving business and technology evolution for customers across Australia and has played a key role in establishing Ericsson’s market leadership position in the region. Emilio is also passionate about driving a diverse workforce and implementing programs to encourage and cement inclusive work practices.

  Event details: Book at https://telsoc.org/event/2024-henry-sutton-oration-presented-emilio-romeo-ceo-managing-director-ericsson-australia-nz
  Date and time: Tue, 28 May 2024 11:45-14:00 AEST
  Location: Angliss Restaurant
  550 Lt Latrobe Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 Australia

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