Ericsson said has been selected by Greece’s largest mobile communications service provider, Cosmote, as its sole 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) vendor under a network modernization deal.
Cosmote, the mobile arm of Hellenic Telecommunications Organization (OTE), which is part of the Deutsche Telekom Group, is targeting 2021 for the commercial launch of 5G services. That will follow the expected auction of 5G spectrum by Greece’s National Telecommunications and Post Commission (EETT) in the fourth quarter of 2020.
The deal stipulates the deployment of 5G RAN products and solutions from the Ericsson Radio System portfolio as part of the carrier’s transformation to 5G. The Swedish vendor said that the Ericsson Radio System radios and basebands will improve the carbon footprint of Cosmote’s current network, contributing to significant energy savings.
“5G is the future of telecommunications and a necessary precondition for the Gigabit Society. It is the underlying technology which will be used by all the innovative applications that will change our lives in the near future,” said Michael Tsamaz, OTE Group chairman and CEO. “OTE Group creates the state-of-the-art infrastructure that our country and society need in the new digital era. We invest heavily to enable our customers to enjoy the innovative services and products brought by 5G. With technology and innovation, we create a better world for all.”
“5G is a platform that will change lives, business and society in Greece for the better. It will create opportunities for Cosmote in industry and digital partnerships that will allow Greece to compete in technology innovation,” said Arun Bansal, president of Europe and Latin America for Ericsson. “We’re leading the way in 5G in Europe and the world and we will work closely with Cosmote to ensure that they, and their customers, benefit from this network modernization.”
Ericsson currently has 86 commercial 5G agreements and contracts with unique operators, of which 39 are publicly announced 5G deals, including 27 live 5G networks on four continents.
Regarding the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic globally, Ericsson confirmed that all Ericsson’s production sites are up and running. In line with recommendations from the Chinese authorities, Ericsson’s production site in China was closed until February 9, but has been open since February 10.
Regarding the impact on Ericsson’s supply chain, the vendor said that all main Ericsson production sites are currently in operation. “Ericsson continues to follow the situation of the Novel Coronavirus and recommendation from the local authorities and World Health Organization (WHO), as the company assesses its supply chain. Our prediction remains for Q1, that we will see limited to no impact on our customers. For Q2 2020, our assessment remains that we can cover currently forecasted demands, taking into account known implications and expected outcome from mitigations made following the outbreak.”
