Ericsson

Kenya is expanding its partnerships with Malaysia and the technology firm Ericsson in order to encourage innovation and investment in the IT industry and speed the East African country’s digital transformation.

The Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy is leading the initiative.

Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo, who leads the portfolio, met with Malaysian and Ericsson delegations at the ministry’s Nairobi offices on Monday.

The High Commissioner of Malaysia to Kenya, Ruzaimi Mohammed, paid a courtesy visit.

Following the meeting, Kabogo revealed that the two addressed bilateral relations, particularly in terms of technological innovation and investment.

“Kenya’s rapid growth in the tech industry coupled with Malaysia’s expertise in the same field allows for a strategic partnership that will boost our digital transformation agenda,” he said.

The two countries already have strong technological relations.

Last November, at the Malaysia-Kenya Tech Summit in Nairobi, they signed a memorandum of understanding for Malaysia to foster digital transformation in Kenya.

This allows Kenyan enterprises to gain access to Malaysia’s digital knowledge, while Malaysian firms may tap into Kenya’s tech economy.

Yesterday, Kabogo hosted the Ericsson delegation.

The discussions focused on how to improve connectivity and expedite digital transformation.

Kabogo believes that a strong telecom industry is critical to unlocking new potential for businesses and consumers.

“As we strive for a digitally inclusive economy, partnerships with the private sector remain crucial in improving lives, redefining industries, and shaping a sustainable future for all Kenyans,” said Kabongo.

Source: Extensia

Telia began preparing for the end of a 2G-based rail communication system by teaming with Ericsson and the Swedish Transport Administration to test a 5G alternative.

The operator, vendor and government unit plan to trial the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS), a 5G-based standard expected to fast-track critical railway communications.

Testing will take place on a 40km stretch of railway running between two towns in central Sweden.

Telia explained FRMCS offers greater automation options than the GSM-R system currently used in Europe, which is set to be phased out by 2033.

The trial forms part of FP2-MORANE-2, a €13.5 million European Union (EU) project to test FRMCS in real-world conditions and a trio of laboratories running from this year until 2027.

Telia explained FP2-MORANE-2 goals span conventional and high-speed rail lines.

The project will form part of the European Rail Traffic Management System, which the EU Agency for Railways explains is a single “signalling and speed control system”, with goals around cutting equipment costs and boosting train speeds, network capacity and overall safety.

Staffan Akesson, head of Infrastructure at Telia Sweden, emphasised the role of Europe’s rail modernisation plan in delivering “a more sustainable transport system”, adding the trial would also feed into the operator’s work on critical communications for “other essential societal infrastructure”.

Source: Mobile World Live

Ericsson employed low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to handle 5G backhaul in a remote area, advancing the potential of non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) as a connectivity option in areas not covered by mobile or fixed infrastructure.

In a trial conducted in Spain with industrial digital technology multinational Oesia Group and the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), Ericsson used a portable 5G gNodeB to connect to a data centre laboratory operated by 5TONIC, an R&D facility initiated by Telefonica and IMDEA Networks Institute.

The trial focused on connecting the transport element of the private gNodeB network with the laboratory’s Control Plane functions, proving the set-up can be used to maintain connectivity in areas lacking traditional infrastructure.

Ericsson explained the set-up connected 5G devices at the remote location using the portable private network, with the NTN element providing broader connectivity. The transition from mobile to satellite access was shown to be smooth, employing 3GPP Advanced Traffic Steering-Switching-Splitting technology.

Manuel Lorenzo, head of Technology and Innovation at Ericsson Spain, said the “seamless transition between mobile and satellite access”, would enable continuity of service.

There is also potential to apply the approach in areas affected by disasters, UC3M Signal Theory and Communications Department expert Daniel Segovia noted.

Maria Grana, director of technology with Oesia’s Inster unit, explained it provided a satellite terminal using an electronically steered Ku-band antenna which connected to Eutelsat OneWeb’s LEO constellation.

She said the trial is “a significant achievement for satellite communications”.

UC3M coordinated the trial, which employed Ericsson’s 5G infrastructure alongside the Inster terminals.

Source: Mobile World Live

Australia-based operator Telstra signed-up with Ericsson to deploy what the pair claimed as the first programmable network in the Asia Pacific region, citing benefits around the provision of bespoke capabilities to customers.

The four-year project will see the operator’s radio network upgraded to Ericsson’s latest open RAN-ready hardware and deployment of 5G-Advanced software.

AI and automation technology is set to be used to optimise network management, through self-detection of problems and self-healing.

Ericsson noted the new infrastructure would provide a platform for development of new applications and give the operator the ability to tailor connectivity based on customer need.

Highlighting the fact it and Telstra were founding members of API focused company Aduna, Ericsson explained the new kit would provide the means to “open the network to tech innovators from wider ecosystems via network APIs”.  

Telstra CEO Vicki Brady said: “We are at an inflection point, where customer needs for technology and connectivity are becoming more sophisticated, requiring a step change in how connectivity is delivered and consumed. At the same time, demand for mobile data on our network has tripled over the past five years.”

The executive added its new network infrastructure would “evolve our offering and improve the efficiency of how we use our spectrum so we can increase our 5G network capacity to deliver better consistency of performance, reliability and speed to millions of customers”.

Source: Mobile World Live

Ericsson SVP and CTO Erik Ekudden (pictured) insisted the industry is on the cusp of the next wave of innovation, with pieces coming together from across the technology stack, as the vendor used its pre MWC25 Barcelona briefing to heavily push its programmable networks and API strategy.

Speakers from across Ericsson’s business used its annual media and analyst summit to provide a broad overview of the company’s activities in areas including fixed wireless access (FWA) uptake; 5G enterprise; the extended reality (XR) opportunity; and creating the best networks for AI, before discussing plays across open networks and its API push.

Ekudden opened, explaining Ericsson is pursuing a strategy across a range of areas, because it believes in the opportunity for its customers and the whole industry “to take the next step”.

“We are now getting all the pieces in the puzzle together across this tech stack from high-performing programmable networks, radio transport to core networks, across the whole layer of management, orchestration, monetisation and exposure, moving towards autonomous networks,” he explained.

Ahead of MWC25 Barcelona, Ericsson also unveiled its latest radio, antenna and RAN products to advance its programmable networks portfolio.

In total, it released seven energy-efficient and high-performing massive MIMO and remote radios, indoor 5G offerings and open fronthaul products dubbed RAN Connect.

With its enhanced portfolio, Ericsson stated it will offer 130 radio products supporting open and programmable networks during 2025, “outpacing the competition”.

Aduna
Ericsson has also taken the lead in Aduna, a venture bringing together big operators and platform providers, to accelerate and coordinate the industry’s efforts around APIs.

The technology chief said it was intent on using Aduna to “create one industry-wide platform that has all the capabilities of these networks available”, together with distribution partners including Google Cloud.

“This is where it all comes together, so the full technology stack is available.  We provide all the components and in doing this, working together with partners in the ecosystem, we have a chance to unleash a lot more value in other industries.”

Source: Mobile World Live

• Effective as of February 10, 2025
• Becomes member of Ericsson’s Executive Team, reporting to the CEO

Ericsson has announced the appointment of Charlotte Levert as its new Chief People Officer, Senior Vice President, and Head of Group Function People. Charlotte Levert who is currently Vice President and Head of People Business Area Cloud and Software Services will replace MajBritt Arfert, whose departure Ericsson announced in October 2024. Charlotte Levert will take up her new position on February 10 and will be based in Sweden.

Charlotte Levert has held executive positions within Ericsson across several business areas. She has most recently held the position of Head of People Business Area Managed Services. Before joining Ericsson, Charlotte Levert was Head of HR Sweden & Global HR business partner at Tieto and has held various senior management positions within human resources. She holds a Bachelor in Business Management & Human Resources.

Börje Ekholm, President and CEO of Ericsson, says: “Charlotte will be an integral part as we are entering the next chapter of Ericsson’s strategy and in the continued evolution of the People agenda. She brings a strong track record from different organizations including different parts of Ericsson and I’m very much looking forward to having Charlotte join the Executive Team.”

Commenting on the appointment, Charlotte Levert says: “I am truly honored to take on this role and grateful for the trust. Working at Ericsson means we all get the chance to be part of shaping the future. I am looking forward to co-creating a future-proof organization and where Ericsson remains a great place to work.”  

In October 2024 Ericsson announced that MajBritt Arfert would step down after having been with Ericsson for over 38 years and a member of the Company’s Executive Team since the autumn of 2016. MajBritt Arfert will be available for Ericsson during the spring and leave Ericsson at the end of May 2025.

Source: Ericsson.com

Telecom operator e& Egypt has renewed its contract with Ericsson for the management of its services and customer support. The 5-year partnership includes the integration of artificial intelligence (AI)-based solutions to optimize network operations and anticipate customer needs. The aim is to enable e& Egypt to improve the quality of its services, reduce its operational costs and prepare for the 5G era.

“This partnership highlights a shared vision to leverage AI-based network technologies to achieve next-generation advancements in telecommunications. We aim to leverage Ericsson’s experience to integrate AI into network operations, improve quality of service and user experience for our subscribers, while paving the way for future growth,” said Amr Fathy, Chief Technology and Information Officer at e& Egypt.

This renewal is part of a broader dynamic of modernization of telecoms infrastructure in Egypt. Last October, the Egyptian authorities granted the 5G license to several telecoms operators including e& Egypt, with a view to launching in the next 6 months.

The new agreement could, however, facilitate the future deployment of 5G, strengthen e& Egypt’s market position and pave the way for new digital services. Ultimately, this type of partnership could serve as a model for other African operators looking to optimize their networks through AI and managed services.

Source: extensia.tech