Ericsson bullish SA can light 5G fire

INTERVIEW: Fredrik Jejdling, EVP and head of Business Area Networks at Ericsson (pictured), backed standalone (SA) 5G to prove key in helping operators realise the full potential of the technology, and pave the way towards additional revenue by unlocking critical use cases.

Jejdling noted 18 months had passed since the commercial launch of 5G, and pressure was ramping for the focus to move beyond initial consumer use cases, such as enhanced mobile broadband, onto “taking advantage” of what the technology was originally designed for.

SA 5G is gaining traction globally following launches by T-Mobile US, Telstra and Vodafone UK, with Asian heavyweights set to follow.

Jejdling believes the technology will help reach the original 5G vision, along with generating the cash operators expected from the next-generation of mobile.

He estimated operators could earn 35 per cent in additional revenue from 5G through critical use cases, which would be enabled by a SA offering.

“There is a discussion about reaching the full potential of 5G, and what it can do in terms of network slicing, what it can do in terms of other industry use cases. And then, actually deliver what 5G was designed to do which was to connect things with people and things with things. Lots of these functionalities will come through with standalone.”

Ericsson’s network chief also discussed the benefits of a cloud-based, virtualised infrastructure offering, and how it would complement its traditional 5G kit portfolio.