Ericsson Launches Software Toolkit For Premium Services With Differentiated 5G Connectivity

According to the recent Ericsson ConsumerLab report, 20% smartphone users are seeking differentiated 5G connectivity. These individuals value premium connectivity and are willing to pay a premium of up to 11% for a 5G plan that ensures elevated network performance. With the growth of advanced and varied use cases along with rising mobile user expectations on the quality of 5G experiences, there is greater demand on network capacity and performance.

To strengthen 5G standalone network capabilities and enable premium services with differentiated connectivity, Ericsson has launched a new software toolkit. The toolkit is designed for communications service providers to deliver experience-focused use cases with high requirements on throughput, reliability, and latency at agreed performance levels.

Examples of such use cases include lag-free mobile cloud gaming, video conferencing, live broadcasting, remote-controlled machines/vehicles, public safety services, and extended reality applications. Fast speeds, low latency, and greater bandwidth of 5G are key enablers of these use cases. As more demanding applications emerge, alternatives to the one-size-fits-all approach to wireless connectivity need to be considered.

Ericsson said that its software toolkit offers enhanced features for massive multiple-input multiple-output, advanced radio access network slicing, time-critical communication and 5G core. It delivers improved performance for mobile broadband services, offering differentiated experiences for new and advanced consumer and enterprise use cases, and creates programmable network performance on demand through network APIs, the company said.

Sibel Tombaz, head of product line 5G RAN at Ericsson, said, “Our new, innovative software toolkit empowers our customers to unlock advanced 5G applications through differentiated connectivity. This not only guarantees on-demand service excellence but also propels us towards our vision of networks as a platform.”

Key Capabilities

According to Ericsson, the software toolkit offers the following key capabilities:

• Enhanced massive MIMO software algorithms, which help boost capacity in mid-band deployments, with up to 10% incremental user throughput gain in high load. This allows for smoother introduction of new services that require high reliability and low latency.

• RAN slicing advancements with intent-based automation for automated radio resource partitioning, and rate and delay control scheduling to meet target delivery on a 1 millisecond basis. Efficient service-level agreement fulfilment enabled by real-time automation.

• Consistent low-latency capabilities of time-critical communication, with uplink configured grant and L4S (low latency, low loss, scalable throughput) for improved user experience during network congestion and poor radio conditions. Up to 90 ms latency improvement in high load scenario.

• Data boost upsell and L4S support in 5G Core, allowing users to purchase a boost along with existing subscription through notification to the device and new capabilities to enable and monetise L4S for selected subscription packages.

Patrick Filkins, research manager, IoT and telecom network infrastructure at IDC, said that Ericsson's “latest batch of RAN and core software features is a much-needed shot in the arm that will empower CSPs to turn 5G opportunities into reality through guaranteed service levels".