With their sights set on bringing 5G to 20 million people in Germany by the end of 2021, Ericsson and Vodafone have launched a commercial 5G network using Ericsson products and solutions.
Vodafone Germany CEO Hannes Ametsreiter activated the first 5G base stations at a press event on July 16, bringing 5G connectivity to over 20 towns and cities. The event held in Düsseldorf also showcased a demonstration of >1Gbps speeds using Ericsson technology, complete with Ericsson Radio Dots and 5G Cloud Packet Core equipment.
Arun Bansal, President and Head of Europe & Latin America, Ericsson, says: “This 5G deployment marks yet another monumental launch for us, as the only vendor activating 5G at scale, globally. We’re looking forward to continuing our journey with our long-term partner Vodafone, as we connect the world with 5G. Our technology leadership allows us to use unique spectrum sharing abilities combined with Ericsson Cloud Packet Core, providing a powerful network platform that is capable of supporting service exposure and automation for service providers.”
Ericsson has deployed Massive MIMO AIR 6488 commercial hardware and Baseband 6630 from its Ericsson Radio System portfolio, which is used in the Vodafone network. The 5G base stations are also connected to the Ericsson 5G Evolved Packet Core Network, enabling Vodafone leadership with 5G capabilities.
