Ericsson has been selected by Taiwan-based Asia-Pacific Telecom (APT) to modernise the communications service provider’s network and support with 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) Multi-Operator Core Network readiness.
The implementation includes integration with Far EasTone Telecommunications (FET) on the 3.5GHz frequency band in Taiwan.
Under the terms of the agreement, Ericsson will provide high-performing radio access network (RAN) solutions as well as 5G NSA licenses to do 5G Multi-Operator Core Networks (MOCN). The contract also covers Ericsson Network Manager, OSS migration services and upgrade.
In September last year, FET and APT announced a partnership to provide 5G services on Taiwan’s 3.5GHz frequency band through the nation’s first MOCN – where two or more core networks share the same RAN and bandwidth. The collaboration includes 700MHz shared RAN to be used on both 4G and 5G technologies.
As part of this new deal, several mobile sites will be upgraded with the latest Ericsson 5G RAN technology. The currently installed Ericsson basebands will be upgraded to the latest 5G technology standard to match FET’s network quality and maximise user experience.
Chafic Nassif, President of Ericsson Taiwan, says: “Our enhanced 5G platform provides the technological backbone for the nation’s first Multi-Operator Core Network and we will continue to support both service providers with their successful integration and partnership.”
With the deployment, APT will be able to dynamically operate between 4G and 5G networks, with a set of unified applications to securely manage radio access, transport and core networks in an end-to-end manner.
Ericsson now has 124 commercial 5G agreements with communications service providers globally.
