Börje Ekholm: Ericsson to Switch on 5G Globally in 2019

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --

• President and CEO Börje Ekholm stressed the role of 5G as a critical national infrastructure as he launched Ericsson's MWC 2019 with an address to journalists and analysts
• Ericsson has publicly announced 5G deals with 10 named service provider customers. The company is currently rolling out 5G networks in the US, Europe, Asia and Australia
• With a complete, dynamic and flexible 5G portfolio, Ericsson has the resources and the supply chain capacity to meet a fast ramp-up of market demand as 5G is introduced globally

Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) President and CEO Börje Ekholm says Ericsson will switch on 5G globally in 2019, backed by a strong, secure and available portfolio. Addressing media and analysts as he launched Ericsson's MWC 2019 in Barcelona, Ekholm also stressed the role of 5G as a critical national infrastructure, and emphasized the advantages for early adopters.

"We are truly switching on 5G around the world in 2019," he said.

Ekholm said that Ericsson has announced commercial 5G deals with 10 named service provider customers, as well as 42 memorandums of understanding. The company is already rolling out 5G networks across the globe: in the US, Europe, Asia, and Australia.  And he promised more announcements to come.

"Consumers and enterprises are waiting for 5G," Ekholm said. "According to Ericsson ConsumerLab research, one-third of smartphone users globally will change either immediately or within six months to a service provider that switches on 5G. Today, the US and Asia are leading in 5G development."

Ékholm said the first commercial scale 5G beneficiaries will be mobile broadband consumers with massive and highly cost-efficient capacity expansions facilitating new applications in augmented reality and virtual reality in areas such as gaming and sports broadcasts.

But he also stressed how 5G would move the industry beyond consumer products and into the industrial internet, citing ongoing collaborations in both mobile robotics and all-electric, autonomous vehicles as examples.

Ekholm also highlighted how Ericsson Radio System hardware has been 5G-ready since 2015 and can be used also for 5G New Radio (NR) with a remote software installation.

This means that Ericsson has already shipped more than 3 million 5G-ready radios to its customers worldwide. Ericsson's unique spectrum sharing capabilities and common core and dynamic orchestration solutions would put Ericsson customers in the lead with 5G, he said.

"Our unique Ericsson Spectrum Sharing is the most economically feasible way to introduce 5G in existing bands achieving immediate nationwide coverage," he said. "We can dynamically mix 4G and 5G traffic on the same spectrum. Some said this kind of spectrum sharing was impossible. Wrong! Our engineers are truly world class. With spectrum sharing, our customers have a real 5G frontrunner advantage."

Ekholm announced that Ericsson intends to acquire Kathrein's antenna and filters business for mobile networks. This will expand the company's capabilities and competences in the advanced active and passive antenna domain. Ericsson will be adding around 4,000 highly-skilled professionals in R&D, production and sales based in more than 20 locations, including Germany, Romania, Mexico and China.

To get the full picture of what Ericsson is showing and discussing at MWC Barcelona, please visit the event page, join us in Hall 2 in Barcelona or live online.

Ericsson Press Release: Ericsson to acquire Kathrein's antenna and filters business 

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About Ericsson

Ericsson enables communications service providers to capture the full value of connectivity. The company's portfolio spans Networks, Digital Services, Managed Services, and Emerging Business and is designed to help our customers go digital, increase efficiency and find new revenue streams. Ericsson's investments in innovation have delivered the benefits of telephony and mobile broadband to billions of people around the world. The Ericsson stock is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and on Nasdaq New York. www.ericsson.com

Ericsson at Mobile World Congress 2019

Join or follow Ericsson at MWC 2019 in Barcelona from February 25 to 28 and experience the future of 5G and IoT innovation. We will present unique insights on 5G business opportunities and showcase use cases that enhance service providers' business and customer experiences. Take the opportunity to learn more about the latest trends and technology shaping the ICT industry, now and in the future. Join us live and online at www.ericsson.com/mwc

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