DISH Network has selected Ericsson as the first supplier for its narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) radio access and core network, including radio frequency design. Florida based SBA Communications said it is supplying towers for the new network.
Meanwhile, the Swedish vendor has also confirmed it has agreed with Telia in Sweden to deploy 5G at a DB Schenker facility in Sweden to launch self-driving trucks on the site.
DISH’s NB-IoT network – expected to be the most significant in the US besides the deployments from the national carriers, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon – is scheduled for completion in March 2020.
Ericsson completed the initial radio frequency (RF) design for DISH’s nationwide NB-IoT network earlier this year. It is supplying NR-capable radios and its “cloud core” network.
The pair have validated NB-IoT data transmissions based on the 3GPP standards, including extended range connections up to 100 km from a base station flor the first time in the US, they said.
Niklas Heuveldop, president and head of Ericsson in North America, said: “DISH is in the unique position of building a greenfield network, starting with NB-IoT, with a clear path to 5G. We are excited that DISH has decided to partner with Ericsson to address the IoT opportunity. We believe that NB-IoT holds great potential for both consumers and businesses across the U.S.”
Ericsson is the first wireless vendor DISH has announced for its network deployment. Meanwhile, SBA said in an earnings call it is working with DISH on towers.
Jeff Stoops, chief executive at SBA, said: “We are actually seeing a fair amount of activity from DISH. And that will probably be the most notable outside of the big four.”
Separately, Ericsson has announced it is working with Swedish operator Telia and Swedish transport company Einride to deploy 5G at a DB Schenker facility in Jönköping, in Sweden, with a view to develop self-driving trucks. The group said the goal is to power an “all-electric, autonomous transport ecosystem”, it said.
Again, Ericsson is providing radio and core network infrastructure to the project, this time running 5G connectivity for Einride’s T-pod, a driverless vehicle operating continuously at DB Schenker’s logistics facilities in Jönköping.
“Einride’s T-pod and autonomous transport system, powered by 5G, can potentially replace more than 60 per cent of today’s transport with a cost-competitive and sustainable alternative,” said Nokia in a statement.
Robert Falck, chief executive and founder of Einride, said: “5G provides the connectivity and reliability we need to safely introduce the T-pod onto public roads, paving the way for a 90 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions and the elimination of nitrogen oxide emissions.”
Ericsson claims 5G is a $619 billion revenue opportunity for telecom operators in the period to 2026, with major gains from serving industrial sectors.
Åsa Tamsons, head of business area technologies at Ericsson, said: “There is a paradigm shift going on in the transport industry. 5G is powering a new world of autonomous vehicles that takes fleet management to the next level.”
Ewald Kaiser, chief operating officer at DB Schenker, said: “This pilot is a milestone… Autonomous, all-electric trucks on public roads is not a dream anymore – it’s happening right now… We are at the forefront of this great transition.”
Mats Lundbäck, chief technology officer for Telia Sweden, said: “We are building a powerful ecosystem that is going to have a deep impact for customers and society as a whole.”
