The collaboration will focus on creating 5G use cases in commercial and consumer markets, with a focus on mission-critical services such as medical applications. It will involve research into the technical and economic aspects of key 5G-enabling technologies.
With the ambition to be first to market with 5G services in the UK, BT has worked with Ericsson to build a 5G Proof of Concept Center at the BT Labs in Adastral Park, Ipswich. With access to the 5G for Europe core network - linking multiple centers and universities across Europe - Ericsson and BT are testing the network architecture needed to most efficiently deliver commercial 5G services.
Howard Watson, CEO, BT Technology, service & operations, and BT Group CIO, (pictured right) said: "The initial focus of the collaboration is on Proof of Concept solutions and trials of services needing both high availability and low latency - both key features of the forthcoming 5G technology.
“In 2016, BT bought EE, the United Kingdom's leading 4G network provider. Together, we [can] build on our existing infrastructure to create a truly converged fixed and mobile network. We look forward to working with Ericsson and King’s College London as we examine the possibilities of 5G, and what it can deliver in terms of flexibility, scalability and the high bandwidths that our customers will require in the future."
Anders Lindblad, senior vice president and head of business unit IT & cloud products at Ericsson, said: "5G is the foundation for expanding the potential to all industries. The cooperation with BT to trial services using 5G technology demonstrates Ericsson's commitment to drive market demand and adoption. By establishing network slices in the context of 5G will be like virtual networks on-demand, and will be crucial for the mission-critical services being trialed."
