Tag: ericsson

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Ericsson and federal government invest in research, new jobs, at provider’s Montreal and Ottawa facilities

The Government of Canada and Ericsson have entered a five-year partnership focusing on research and development.

The investment is valued at $470 million and will help Ericsson create jobs that center on 5G Advanced, 6G, AI, Cloud RAN, and Core Network technologies.

Funding will go towards the Ottawa and Montreal facilities, which will also help expand the Montreal-based Quantum Research hub.

“We are already seeing the benefits of next-generation technologies such as 5G and AI, yet we are still in the early days of their potential to transform our work, leisure, and social lives,” Börje Ekholm, Ericsson’s president and CEO, said.

“Ericsson’s R&D investment partnership with the Canadian government, supported by world-class talent in Ottawa and Montreal, will boost innovation and ultimately help to improve the lives of millions of people.”

Image credit: Shutterstock 

Source: Ericsson

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Mobile Syrup

Tbaytel bringing 5G to Thunder Bay in January

Tbaytel will use Ericsson’s network to launch 5G services in 60 sites in Thunder Bay in January 2023.

The company says it will expand the service to other markets by the end of 2023.

“5G networks will enhance our mobile experience providing us opportunities to reimagine how we use our smartphones and connected devices,”  said company president and CEO Dan Topatig said.

“It will bring faster data speeds for downloads and streaming, larger network capacities to support more connected customers and continuous network reliability to enrich Tbaytel’s overall mobile experience.”

The company is also partnering with Rogers to launch the service.

Tbaytel is initially planning on using a combination of network spectrums for a “superior combination of coverage area and capacity.” Low band spectrum will provide coverage for long distances and desirable service in rural areas. Mid-band, on the other hand, will boost speed and provide ultra-low latency.

Image credit: Tbaytel

Source: Tbaytel

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Mobile Syrup

4 million Canadians will upgrade to 5G in the next 12-15 months: report

Telecom companies across Canada are selling the message the future is 5G. According to a recent survey by Ericsson, Canadians also believe this to be true.

The networking and telecom company conducted a global survey on 5G between April and July 2022. 49,000 consumers in 37 markets were surveyed.

In Canada, the study found that 4 million smartphone users would upgrade to 5G over the next 12-15 months.

5G was first introduced to Canadians in 2020, and while 5G subscribers in Canada have increased six times in the past two years, awareness remains low.

Ericsson surveyed 49,100 consumers across 37 markets. Image credit: Ericsson

15 percent of Canadians surveyed for the study say they are on 5G but have a 4G device. 18 percent have a capable device but haven’t upgraded to the 5G subscription.

5G covers 75 percent of the population, but only 33 percent are connected to 5G more than 50 percent of the time.

“The Canadian results and global trends identified by this milestone consumer report suggest we’re on our way towards the next wave of 5G,” Jasmeet Singh Sethi, Head of Ericsson ConsumerLab, said. “As 5G becomes the mainstream, service providers need to get ready for more customers looking to get even more out of their 5G experience”

Ericsson powers various 5G networks in Canada, including Xplornet, Telus, and Bell.

5G support isn’t something that’s exclusive to Canadians alone. The survey found many throughout the world feel the same way and will upgrade despite ongoing challenges with inflation. According to the findings, 510 million people across the globe (30 percent of survey respondents) will upgrade to 5G despite the rise in inflation.

Image credit: Shutterstock 

Source: Ericsson

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Mobile Syrup

Scaling up 5G deployments while reducing network energy consumption? It’s possible!

5G is here, and with the expansion of connectivity comes the challenge of deploying and operating networks that prioritize both performance and reduced energy use.

In the past, each generation of mobile broadband has come with a steep increase in energy use due to the deployment of new frequency bands and equipment. But now, through a combination of more renewables in the energy mix, as well as deliberate, energy-efficient network rollouts that leverage new technology, providers can break” this energy curve and make meaningful progress towards achieving their climate goals.

The information and communication technology (ICT) sector is a key enabler for accelerated climate action and has the potential to enable up-to 15 percent reduction in global greenhouse emissions, supporting the decarbonization of key economic sectors like energy production, manufacturing and transportation. According to Ericsson’s research in the latest Breaking the Energy Curve report, mobile networks represent about 0.2 percent of global carbon emissions and 0.6 precent of global electricity use. However, this number will grow if network deployments aren’t managed carefully and sustainably.

As we head into the future, communication service providers (CSPs) are facing increased pressure to break the energy curve and meet sustainability goals. With a holistic approach that looks at network deployment from every angle, it’s possible to scale up 5G while reducing total network energy consumption. Ericsson’s Breaking the Energy Curve report outlines the company’s approach to helping CSPs reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions during network deployments.

There are three elements in Ericsson’s approach to break the increasing energy consumption curve of mobile networks:
Enable sustainable network evolution
Expand and modernize
Operate site infrastructure intelligently

Sustainable network evolution

A holistic view of company targets and network realities allows for network planning and operation-supporting business and sustainability initiatives.
Expand the focus on network performance to include user experience and its correlation towards energy consumption in order to optimize RAN energy efficiency.
Network planning should encompass all aspects of core, transport and radio access equipment, as well as site equipment – including power systems and energy sources.
Categorize sites into three traffic segments to identify the most valuable sites and ensure they operate with efficient network equipment.

Expand and modernize

Effective modernization of existing networks is essential when scaling 5G to reduce the mobile network total energy consumption.
With the new generation of multi-band radios, we can add frequency bands while reducing the amount of radio units and energy consumption.
With modernized equipment like the AIR 3268, adding 5G Massive MIMO on mid-band does not need to increase energy consumption.
Automated, optimized networks across fewer sites lower the environmental impact and cost less to run.

Operate intelligently

Leverage artificial intelligence, machine learning and automation for maximized traffic performance of deployed hardware with minimized energy use.
To maximize the power of automation, we must capture data and digitalize the complete site ecosystem enabling intelligent measurement and control.
Ericsson’s predictive RAN solutions can automatically apply energy-saving actions like cell locking and deep sleep activation based on utilization trends.
ML algorithms help increase utilization of high-capacity lithium-ion batteries or renewable energy sources instead of relying on grid or fuel-based energy sources.

In addition to providing a roadmap for network decarbonization, Ericsson has set ambitious climate goals, aiming to reach Net Zero emissions across company operations by 2030 and 2040 for the entire value chain. Read the latest ‘Breaking the Energy Curve‘ report to learn more about how CSPs can reduce energy consumption and meet sustainability goals while deploying the latest 5G networks.

This story is sponsored by Ericsson.

Image credit: Ericsson

This story is sponsored by Ericsson.

MobileSyrup publishes sponsored posts. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content.

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Ericsson partners with three Montreal universities on AI research project

Ericsson Canada announced a research program led by three Montreal-based universities, École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS), Concordia University, Polytechnique Montréal, as well as with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).

The research program will explore how artificial intelligence (AI) can help minimize the energy consumption of 5G networks. Moreover, the research aims to help communication service providers reduce their carbon footprint and operational costs.

Ericsson says that data scientists from its Global Artificial Intelligence Accelerator (GAIA) in Montreal will support the three-year research project alongside seven professors and 27 researchers from the three universities. Moreover, Ericsson says it will bring its global expertise in the area to steer the group and push towards industrialized solutions the company can use in its products.

“5G networks are the technological backbone of our society and they represent an opportunity to
digitalize industries and significantly reduce global CO2 emissions,” said Erik Ekudden, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Ericsson, in a press release.

Moreover, the outcomes of the research are expected to help strengthen ECCC’s greenhouse gas modelling solutions for the telecom sector.

Contributions from the Quebec government (through Innovation en Énergie Électrique (InnovÉÉ)) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) will help support the project.

Header image credit: Shutterstock

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Mobile Syrup

5G network deployment: How a holistic approach to deployment can keep energy usage and costs down

Ericsson has solutions for Communication Service Providers (CSPs) to help manage usage across network deployments, breaking the mobile network energy consumption curve.

The deployment of each new generation of mobile broadband has historically come with an increase in energy usage. However, from 2011 to 2021 data traffic has increased by a factory of 287 while mobile network energy consumption has only increased by a factor of 1.6. This indicates there is strong correlation between increased network energy consumption and the deployment of additional hardware and frequency bands, rather than data consumption.

Canadian communication service providers (CSPs) are facing increasing pressure from governing bodies and consumers to meet sustainability goals while rolling out the latest generation in 5G, which will boost the economy and digitize industries. The Canadian government has set a goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, and introduced the ‘2030 Emissions Reduction Plan,’ targeting the reduction of emissions by 40-45 percent over the next eight years. The mobile industry is setting goals – according to the GSMA, 80 percent of the industry (by revenue) currently disclose their climate impact and 65 percent have committed to science-based carbon reduction targets. Thirty-six percent of the industry by revenue are aligned to the UN’s “Race to Zero” pledge.

As we deploy 5G and work towards Net Zero emissions, two urgent and concurrent actions are required: switching to renewables and deploying network energy efficiency measures.

Image credit: Ericsson

To continue meeting expectations around sustainability, it’s imperative that CSPs identify the ways they can meet traffic demand and provide robust network coverage while avoiding a drastic increase in power consumption. Simply adding renewables to the energy mix won’t be enough.

Ericsson’s ‘Breaking the Energy Curve’ report outlines the company’s approach to helping CSPs reduce energy consumption and Co2 emissions during network deployments by taking a holistic approach, looking at all aspects of the network.

There are four elements in Ericsson’s holistic approach to break the increasing energy consumption curve of mobile networks.

  • Prepare the network
  • Activate energy-saving software
  • Build 5G with precision
  • Operate site infrastructure intelligently

  • Image credit: Ericsson

Prepare the network

  • Modernization of mobile networks with the latest technology and replace old equipment, even in low-traffic areas.
  • Ericsson Radio System will immediately lower energy consumption by about 30% in like-for-like modernization.
  • Modernization in low-traffic areas can yield a payback period of fewer than three years of energy savings alone.

Activate energy-saving software

  • Energy-saving software that turns off radio equipment during times of low traffic demand, reducing overall power consumption.
  • Machine learning (ML) technology can be utilized to bring further savings, analyzing energy use in real-time and providing important insights for service providers to understand, diagnose and identify opportunities to improve network energy performance.
  • Ericsson’s Micro Sleep Tx (MSTx) and Low Energy Scheduler Solution (LESS) can reduce radio equipment energy consumption by up to 15 percent.

Image credit: Ericsson

Build 5G with precision

  • Creating a network with the optimal radio solution for every site type will avoid over-dimensioning hardware, resulting in unnecessary CAPEX and OPEX.
  • Stabilize the 5G rollout without tacking on heavy energy-consuming hardware.
  • Ericsson’s Self-Organizing Network Optimization Manager (SON) can maintain end-user experience while optimizing energy performance, providing almost 20 percent better distribution of traffic load in a network.
  • Unique solutions include Ericsson dual-mode 5G Core (5GC), Ericsson Radio System (ERS) and Ericsson Spectrum Sharing (ESS), providing CSPs with better flexibility in deploying 5G.

  • Image credit: Ericsson

Operate site infrastructure intelligently

  • Utilize Artificial Intelligence to operate site infrastructure efficiently.
  • Service providers have reduced site energy consumption by up to 15 percent through the use of intelligent site control solutions.
  • Ericsson’s portfolio offers tools to control passive equipment as well as predictive maintenance and no-touch problem-solving.
  • Can be used to reduce overall costs, site usage, and site visits.

Read the ‘Breaking the Energy Curve’ report to learn more about how CSPs can reduce energy consumption and meet sustainability goals while deploying the latest 5G networks.


Image credit: Shutterstock

This story is sponsored by Ericsson. MobileSyrup publishes sponsored posts. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content.

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Nokia to exit Russia, promises to maintain current networks

NEW YORK, USA, 25. MAY 2020: Nokia a Finnish telecommunications, technology, and electronics company Young boy chat on mobile phone. Company logo on screen in background

Nokia is exiting the Russian market.

“We just simply do not see any possibilities to continue in the country under the current circumstances,” Pekka Lundmark, Nokia CEO, told Reuters.

The exit doesn’t mean the company will abandon existing networks in the country. In a press release, the company says they are applying for licenses that will allow it to maintain networks under current sanctions.

“This is the most responsible course of action for Nokia to take as we exit the Russian market,” the company says.

It’s the next step in a series of actions. Over the past weeks, the telecom equipment maker stopped deliveries and new businesses.

Nokia notes the decision will likely not impact their 2022 outlook. The company says Russia made up less than two percent of 2021 net sales, and strong demand in other regions will make up for the exit.

The company did not say when they would complete the exit.

Nokia is taking a more significant step than its competitor Ericsson. The company said it’s indefinitely suspending business in Russia and putting its 600 employees on paid leave. Ericsson is not exiting the Russian market entirely like Nokia at this time.

Image credit: Shutterstock

Source: Nokia, Reuters

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Mobile Syrup

Eastlink launches its 5G network in Nova Scotia

Eastlink launched its first 5G network sites in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The network is powered through Ericsson’s radio access network, delivering faster speeds, ultra-low latency, and better bandwidth.

The 5G network is available in 18 sites across the city. The company notes it will announce further coverage outside the city in the coming months.

“We are thrilled to launch the most transformative technological advancement in mobile after several years of network investment and prep work,” Jeff Gillham, Eastlink’s CEO, said in a statement. “Our world is more connected than ever, and our customers count on us to be ready for whatever the future brings. Access to 5G will help our customers manage the increasing busyness and connectivity of their everyday lives and introduce new innovations and business opportunities required to compete on the global stage.”

The company is the first to entirely remove 3G services in Canada to make more room for 5G network capabilities.

Source: Eastlink

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Everything you need to know about the lawsuits between Ericsson and Apple

Tech giants Apple and Ericsson are taking part in an ongoing legal battle against the other.

The recent court drama started when Ericsson filed patent infringement lawsuits against Apple on January 17th after the company didn’t renew patents its licenses from Ericsson. The two lawsuits cover a total of 12 patents, eight of which cover 5G patents Apple uses in its products.

The licenses expired in December 2021 and reports indicate earlier negotiation talks to renew them broke down.

Ericsson charges a licensing fee for 5G handsets of $5 per device. Reports indicate Apple refused to pay and made comments the pricing violates FRAND terms, licenses that must be fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory. But Ericsson maintained its rate complied with terms outlined by FRAND and Apple was aware of this.

Both of Ericsson’s lawsuits ask the court to find Apple willfully infringed the patents, ban Apple from using the patents it infringed, and award financial compensation and royalties.

Apple is countersuing the Swedish telecom company for infringing patents it owns related to wireless charging and antennas. Filed on January 19th, the suit asks the court to make a decision on FRAND terms for the patents.

Apple also accuses Ericsson of using its patents “as ammunition through injunctions to coerce Apple to take an unfair, unreasonable, and discriminatory license,” according to the lawsuit filed by Apple.

Apple also makes it clear this action is in an effort to get Ericsson to back down. “To the extent respondents all of their lawsuits and legal actions, Apple is willing to do the same.”

Image credit: Shutterstock

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Mobile traffic increased 300 times over the last decade, report

Dusseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany – September 9, 2021: Headquarters of Ericsson Germany in Dusseldorf, Germany – ERICSSON is a Swedish multinational networking and telecommunications company

Mobility usage over the last decade has skyrocketed as more people gained access to cellphones and associated networks than ever before.

The finding is outlined in a recent report released by Ericsson examining worldwide usage over the last 10 years.

Since the organization released its last report in 2011, a number of changes have happened.

The number of users subscribed to a 4G network has increased dramatically: in 2011, this number sat at 9 million. Now estimates show there will be 4.7 billion subscriptions by the end of the year.

Over the last decade, new smartphone subscribers have increased by 5.5 billion and mobile networks carry 300 times more traffic.

The report indicates this increase wasn’t expected. In 2011, most data came from laptops with cellular connections, but smartphones were growing in popularity.

“The visible market drivers at the time led us to underestimate the pace of smartphone and 4G subscription growth — and thereby also traffic growth on handheld devices — while overestimating the potential growth of 4G-connected laptops and tablets, as the smartphone became the device of choice for connecting other devices over Wi-Fi to the mobile network,” the report says.

Numerous events shaped this growth, which was further driven by network capabilities, tariffs, and market legislation.

The first event came in 2015 when a U.S.-based service provider offered bundles “with a zero-rated unlimited offering” for popular video services. Competitors soon offered similar bundles, contributing to a global increase in traffic.

The next major event came in 2017, when a new competitor entered the telecom market in India and offered competitive rates on 4G, leading to an increase in new users and subsequent traffic.

An impact was also seen in 2018 when 4G arrived in China, much later than in other markets.

Future trends

The report notes future trends can be hard to predict because things can change based on information not yet available.

The authors do expect, however, for 5G to grow incredibly fast, outpacing the growth of previous generations.

More than 180 service providers have launched 5G services across the world. Estimates show there will be 660 million 5G subscribers by the end of the year, mainly from strong demand in China and North America.

The continent has the second-highest number of 5G subscribers in the world, following North-East Asia, and is expected to move to first place by 2027.

“In North America, 5G commercialization is moving at a rapid pace. Service providers have launched commercial 5G services, focusing on mobile broadband and fixed wireless access (FWA),” the report says.

5G is further expected to take over 4G by the end of 2027, with an estimated 4.4 billion subscriptions. It’s also expected to grow faster than its previous counterpart, thanks, in part, to the availability of devices and lower prices.

4G subscriptions are expected to reach their maximum at 4.7 million by the end of the year. The research notes subscribers will decline to 3.3 billion by 2027, given they’ll be shifting to the newer 5G network

Growth of 5G

The network is expected to grow in every region, but there are a few notable factors to point out around the world.

While 5G network will grow alongside 4G in Sub-Saharan Africa, high speed packet access (HSPA) will remain dominant, representing 40 percent of users in 2027. HSPA is made of two mobile protocols that improve the performance of existing 3G networks using wideband code-division multiple access (WCDMA) protocols.

In India, 4G networks are expected to hold dominance but will see a decrease as users move to 5G. Subscriptions are expected to reduce from 68 percent in 2021 to 55 percent in 2027.

In Central and Eastern Europe, a similar forecast is predicted as 4G is expected to stay on top.

“In 2027, 4G will remain the dominant technology and is expected to account for 59 percent of mobile subscriptions, while 5G subscriptions are forecast to make up 41 percent.”

WCDMA/HSPA will decline to “virtually zero.”

A similar decline will also be seen in Western Europe as 5G subscriptions are expected to reach 83 percent by the end of 2027.

By 2027, 5G is expected to cover 75 percent of the population and be the fastest-deployed communication technology in history. Coverage in high population countries is one contributing factor to this.

In response, researchers have noticed the phenomenon of sunsetting or network sunsets. This is characterized by newer networks, like 4G and 5G, causing legacy networks like 2G and 3G, to shut down.

This can be categorized into three different waves.

In wave one, North American and Australia, among other parts of the world, have already shut down 2G networks and are expected to shut down 3G before the mid-2020s.

Wave two has seen Western Europe sunsetting 3G over 2G, given its larger dependency on it. The sunsetting of 3g is expected to last until the mid-2020s.

The third wave includes countries with a larger dependency on legacy technology because of the lower concentration of 4G and 5G networks. These places won’t see network sunsets for 2G and 3G until the end of 2030.

Image credit: ShutterStock

Source: Ericsson