Ericsson announced it would begin upgrading Romania’s networks this year and embark on a 5G trial next year in South Africa.
The carrier will partner with the Eastern Europe telecommunications powerhouse RCS&RDS to deploy 5G-enabled and Narrowband IoT-ready radio equipment across the network, with a focus on Bucharest. Its radio infrastructure rollout will also enable 3G and 4G networks.
“Operators need solutions they can deploy within today’s network to manage the growth of current services as they prepare for 5G. By future-proofing its network, RCS&RDS can take advantage of 5G and IoT technology concepts and reap the benefits of the technology now. This partnership represents a great step for Romania towards 5G and IoT, taking the mobile broadband experience of subscribers to a new level. In addition, our leading solutions will allow RCS&RDS to explore new revenue opportunities, to future extend its business as it evolves to 5G,” said Ericsson Senior Vice President and Head of Europe and Latin America Arun Bansal.
Ericsson announced the same day that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding to start a South African 5G trial in the first quarter of 2018. It will collaborate with MTN to “identify 5G use cases and applications for the digital transformation of industry verticals such as mining, transportation, agriculture, manufacturing and utilities.”
This event marks the first launch of a 5G initiative with MTN in Africa, according to Ericsson.
