Ericsson issued a major software update of its 5G tower hardware. Its Standalone New Radio (NR) software will support the international 5G NR new standalone mode. That enables 5G networks to be built without depending on 4G infrastructure, which Ericsson says boosts performance.
The new software being added to the Ericsson 5G platform, “will allow service providers to deploy 5G sensibly and address new business opportunities with full flexibility. What you get is faster, cheaper, makes better use of existing assets and with fewer truck rolls,” stated Industry Analyst Hugh Ujhazy, Vice President, IOT & Telecommunications at International Data Corporation, Asia Pacific.
The new software, which can be installed on existing Ericsson Radio System hardware, supports ultra-low latency, and improves 5G coverage and capacity. Ultra-low latency will enable 5G devices to go beyond just sending and receiving large amounts of data, adding the ability to dynamically adjust as quickly as one millisecond (0.001 second), versus today’s markedly slower response times, according to Ericsson.
The software update will also enable longer distances between towers and adds inter-band carrier aggregation. The new feature will enable phones to simultaneously receive and transmit 5G signals on its low band, combined with either midrange or high bands.
Ericsson predicts inter-band carrier aggregation will improve indoor 5G speeds as well as areas with poor coverage. The guaranteed low-band signal could be augmented with a mid- or high-band 5G signal when available. Network capacity can grow 27 percent – or, coverage can be expanded to 25 percent more users, according to the company.
June 19, 2019
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