US Cellular, has signed a multi-year contract with Ericsson in order to support the deployment of its 5G network. Under the contract the Swedish vendor, which already has an existing relationship with the carrier, will provide 3GPP standards-based 5G New Radio (NR) hardware and software.
US Cellular says it will leverage Ericsson’s extensive 5G portfolio and equipment to move from its LTE network to 5G, providing customers expanded coverage while simultaneously future-proofing its current network.
Michael Irizarry, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, US Cellular, comments, “We’re constantly working to ensure that our customers have access to the latest technology available. We value our long-standing relationship with Ericsson and are impressed with their 5G-ready portfolio. We also know Ericsson is committed to meeting our deployment timeline in order to bring 5G to our customers in the second half of 2019.”
The announcement follows the successful joint testing of various 5G use cases. The tests, a significant step toward the launch of a 5G network, were conducted in rural and suburban environments in Madison, Wisconsin. The companies tested virtual reality, augmented reality, advanced beamforming, massive MIMO, dynamic TDD, and large channel bandwidth under a variety of real-world conditions.
Niklas Heuveldop, President and Head of Ericsson North America, adds, “We look forward to enhancing our strong relationship with US Cellular and supporting the 5G network rollout to their customers. We work constantly to ensure our customers have access to the latest 5G solutions, and US Cellular customers will certainly reap the benefits of innovative applications that 5G networks will enable.”
