Telstra and Ericsson to Continue Leadership in Network Evolution in 2018

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Telstra will work with Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) to continue evolving the Telstra Mobile Network to support Telstra's Network of the Future transformation plan and deliver the best mobile network experience to Australian consumers and businesses.

Ericsson will deliver a leading technology roadmap to both extend the strength and capability of 4G and help lay the foundations for early 5G evolution with 5G-ready radio, virtualised core and next generation transport.

This foundation built on Ericsson Radio System solutions will extend 5G-like characteristics into the 4G domain as Telstra's 4G mobile infrastructure evolves beyond gigabit speeds, supports millions of connected things through Australia's only dual NB-IoT (Narrowband-Internet of Things) and Cat-M1 enabled IoT network, and delivers the LTE-Broadcast to meet the ever-increasing demand for data and seamless high-quality video streaming.

Beyond 4G, Ericsson and Telstra are also building next generation virtualisation capabilities that will support both the growth in 4G services and the rapid introduction of 5G functions as network software. This combined with the continuing renewal of Telstra's optical network infrastructure through the supply of next generation equipment from Ciena will enable the scale, reliability and flexibility required to service both exploding data demand and new products and use cases built on network slicing and the evolution to 5G.

Telstra and Ericsson continue to demonstrate industry leadership through ongoing innovation and collaboration with industry technology leaders that is needed to build an end-to-end 5G ecosystem. To date this has included Telstra and Ericsson conducting Australia's first 5G field trial in 2016 the world's first 5G data call over 26GHz 'mmWave' radiofrequency spectrum in 2017, and the joint interoperability testing of the new 5G Non-Stand Alone (NSA) standard between Ericsson, Qualcomm and other global operators, using the recently completed 3GPP NSA standards.

These standards will enable the new faster 5G radio interface to be rapidly deployed and integrated onto the power of Telstra's existing 4GX service. This capability will be tested at Telstra's 5G Innovation Centre on the Gold Coast in the coming months along with other key 5G interoperability testing with other leading industry partners.

Mike Wright, Telstra's Group Managing Director, Networks says: "We are pleased to continue working with Ericsson to advance mobile technology in Australia, bringing faster speeds and new capabilities. These tests are an important step forward for Telstra and the entire mobile industry. The next generation of mobile network technology will utilise an NSA architecture to launch 5G and also leverage the existing 4G coverage to deliver a broader and more consistent experience."

Emilio Romeo, Head of Ericsson Australia and New Zealand says: "We're working closely with Telstra to deliver innovative technologies in each key area of Telstra's network including the nationwide optical network, the deployment of a national IoT-enabled network, LTE Broadcast, network virtualisation and slicing as well as advancing wireless networks with Gigabit LTE deployment and 5G trials. Together we have put the network fundamentals in place to enable Telstra's Network of the Future program. Through our extensive collaborative efforts, we will ensure Australia is at the cutting edge of mobile technology."

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