Ericsson 5G Distributed Innovation Network

Edge network

By 2023 5G will make up nearly one-fifth of all mobile data traffic and 25% of 5G use cases will depend on edge computing capabilities. Edge computing will play a key role in operators’ ability to provide new services and generate new revenue streams from 5G. Enterprise and IoT services, such as new virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and gaming applications, will depend on Edge computing capabilities to provide a better user experience on a lightweight device by relying on processes that happen within the network.

#5G #5GBusiness #5GCampus #innovation

The 5G Distributed Innovation Network demonstrates an end-to-end 5G ecosystem in an enterprise environment, providing a platform for innovation. The network is located across multiple Ericsson campuses in North Texas, including the headquarters and a research facility nine miles away.

With this 5G network, our customers and partners have access to a 5G edge computing environment to run no-risk, real-world experiments, working with the latest technology and the teams that enabled it. Ultimately removing complexity from future implementations.

5G Core Stand-Alone and integrated non-standalone radio access network are supported in the 5G Distributed Innovation Network using an SD-WAN connection to the public cloud, in addition to radio and mobile transport for full application cloud-to-device connectivity, management and orchestration. Intra and inter-site connectivity is powered by Ericsson 5G Transport.

Industry achievement

Ericsson and Qualcomm achieve first 5G NR call on CBRS spectrum

Technology view

Together, the Distributed Innovation Network and Plano 5G campus provide the environment and network capabilities needed for technical and use case-driven trials and proofs of concepts. Ericsson, our customers and our partners use the network like a sandbox for pushing innovations and demonstrating new capabilities.

Some of the use cases that have been deployed include:

Ericsson accelerates 5G with Massive MIMO single user uplink data rate record

Paul Challoner and Erin Liao explain how and why Ericsson is delivering peak 5G performance in US mid-band spectrum. This demonstration explains the importance of single user MIMO and showcases 1.5 Gbps download and over 300 Mbps upload (a world record!) using Ericsson Advanced Antenna Systems Radio 6449 installed in the Ericsson Distributed Innovation Network on our Plano campus. This performance will enable our customers to make the most of their C-Band spectrum investment and delver the promise of 5G to consumers, enterprise and industries.

Ericsson demonstrates industry first live C Band network with 5.4 Gbps throughput (signals research)

Michael Thelander, President of Signals Research Group explains the benchmark testing completed in September 2020 at Ericsson’s Plano Distributed Innovation Network. This Multi-User MIMO (MU-MIMO) testing probed the peak speeds possible using this MIMO technique in real world settings.

Ericsson completes the first call on CBRS spectrum in 5G New Radio Standalone mode

Paul Challoner, VP of Network Product Solutions for Ericsson North America explains the significance of the first call for Ericsson NR Stand Alone on CBRS. The demonstration also showcases carrier aggregation with handover from LTE to 5G, taking the first steps to bring the benefits of 5G to the CBRS ecosystem.

Cellular enabled “Grab and Go” cashless vending machine

This prototype system enables touchless selling and autonomous buying from a wireless connected cooler. Consumers simply scan the code on the door, open, take what they want and get billed automatically. Behind the scenes, cellular connected cameras connect to a 5G network slice and the whole system is orchestrated with Ericsson orchestrator.

5G IoT Smart Vessel

Challenge
A need to monitor the water quality in the Ericsson Village (EV) to identify when and how often to treat the water.

Solution
We constructed a 5G + CBRS connected boat that operates autonomously collecting water quality monitoring and identification of pollutants

Result
This smart vessel can be dispatched in rivers, lakes, reservoirs, or coastal areas to perform autonomous water sampling and on-line monitoring. Routes, coordinates, and other customized settings can be pre-programmed into the boat or the boat can be driven remotely via video. Real-time water quality data and on-board video streams are transmitted from the boat via 4G or 5G NR networks providing a consistent, reliable, network connection.