Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) and Swisscom, the largest telecommunications service provider in Switzerland, have turned on what they say is the first large-scale commercial 5G network in Europe to support commercially available smartphones. The partners network went live April 17, after Swisscom secured a commercial 5G license.
Swisscom introduced smartphone and mobile router ecosystem partners at an April 10 ceremony in Zurich. The commercial 5G network, and related services, are available in 54 cities and communities in Switzerland, including the major population areas: Zürich, Bern, Geneva, Basel, Lausanne and Lucerne.
Swisscom subscribers with commercial 5G smartphones and routers in covered areas will benefit from the high speed, low latency and enhanced mobile broadband features of 5G services across infotainment, gaming, virtual reality, and immersive media experiences, according to the companies. The 5G network switch-on also opens the door to exploring new opportunities in the Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0.
“We are laying the foundation for diverse, new applications and business models with the launch of the first commercial 5G network in Switzerland,” said Swisscom CEO Urs Schaeppi. He added the launch will inspire people whether they live in the city, countryside, or in the mountains.
Arun Bansal, President and Head of Europe and Latin America, Ericsson, says, “As we continue our close ties with Swisscom, we are also strengthening the 5G ecosystem by reducing the time-to-market for chipset and device makers. We ensure multi-vendor operability with 5G devices and networks, enabling more 5G devices to come to market.”
Swisscom previously announced its aim to have its 5G network operational all over Switzerland by the end of 2019 – with close to 90 percent nationwide population coverage. This will be achieved by using Ericsson Spectrum Sharing software that dynamically shares spectrum between 4G and 5G carriers based on traffic demand. This solution will enable fast nationwide 5G coverage with 5G-ready 4G radios, according to the telecom. Comments? Email Us.
April 18, 2019
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