AT&T has announced plans to lead the United States in commercial scale open radio access network (Open RAN) deployment.
This industry-leading move, in collaboration with Ericsson, will further the telecommunications industry efforts and build a more robust ecosystem of network infrastructure providers and suppliers. AT&Ts spend could approach roughly $14 billion over the 5-year term of the contract with Ericsson.
“AT&T is taking the lead in open platform sourcing in our wireless network,” said Chris Sambar, Executive Vice President, AT&T Network. “With this collaboration, we will open up radio access networks, Drive innovation, spur competition and connect more Americans with 5G and fiber. We are pleased that Ericsson shares our support for Open RAN and the possibilities this creates for American digital infrastructure.”
Börje Ekholm, President and CEO of Ericsson, says: “High-performance and differentiated networks will be the foundation for the next step in digitalization. I am excited about this future and happy to see our long-term partner, AT&T, choosing Ericsson for this strategic industry shift – moving to open, cloud-based and programmable networks. Through this shift, and with open interfaces and open APIs, the industry will see new performance-based business models, creating new ways for operators to monetize the network.”
Ericsson will leverage its USA 5G Smart Factory in Lewisville, Texas in the manufacture of 5G equipment for this contract.
