Ericsson and Verizon are expanding their long-standing partnership with a multi-year agreement valued at $8.3 billion.
Per the new deal, Verizon will leverage Ericsson's 5G multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) technology, including C-band, low-band, and millimeter wave (mmWave) solutions, to enhance its 5G ultra-wideband (UWB) network's performance, coverage, and user experience.
"This is a significant strategic partnership for both companies and what we're most excited about is bringing the benefits of 5G to U.S. consumers, enterprises and the public sector. We're looking forward to working with Verizon to leverage solutions like Cloud RAN and our Street Macro, adding depth and versatility to 5G network rollouts across the U.S," said Niklas Heuveldop, president and head of Ericsson North America.
Commenting on its industry-leading 5G services, Ericsson said its Massive MIMO, Spectrum Sharing, and Cloud RAN solutions ensure end-users get the speed and performance they desire from a 5G network.
Ericsson's Massive MIMO line offers a broad range of compact, energy-efficient Antenna Integrated Radios that increase network throughput and reduce interference among devices. Ericsson Spectrum Sharing allows simultaneous 4G and 5G deployment in the same band, maximizing spectrum efficiency.
Through a software update, any Ericsson radio delivered after 2015 can enable dynamic sharing remotely. Cloud-agnostic, Ericsson’s Cloud RAN offers support for 5G mid-band and Massive MIMO deployments.
"With this new agreement, we will be able to continue driving innovation and widespread adoption of 5G. We are pleased to continue this work through our long-standing relationship with Ericsson," said Kyle Malady, chief technology officer (CTO) at Verizon.
Earlier this year, Verizon announced plans to double its mmWave 5G in 2021. This deal should put it on the path toward meeting its goals.
