Inside look at the challenges of deploying 5G in Asia Pacific
Chief Technology Officer, SmarTone
Chief Technology Officer, SmarTone
Chief Technology Officer, SmarTone
For 28 years, SmarTone has been using Ericsson technology for its performance-leading network in Hong Kong, one of the most challenging radio environments in the world. In a candid interview with Ericsson’s Asia Pacific CTO Magnus Ewerbring, SmarTone’s CTO Stephen Chau tells us what it’s like to launch 5G within less than three months’ time; how SmarTone achieved Hong Kong’s widest coverage at launch from Day 1; how they overcame past challenges in indoor coverage in one of the world’s busiest subway systems; and why secure networks are so important.
One of the toughest radio environments in the world
Hong Kong is a small city but has one of the most challenging telecom profiles in the world, combining super-dense urban areas of skyscrapers with remote rural areas populated by small villages. Radio engineers are challenged by it because it is so hard to plan a world-class radio network in that market. In the downtown areas, the distance between sites is as low as 50 meters! In addition, the expectations are very high, not just for outdoor coverage but also for indoor coverage.
The widest 5G coverage in Hong Kong at launch
SmarTone has always focused on being an innovative and pioneering operator. In fact, with Ericsson over the years, SmarTone has invented numerous features and technologies to enhance the user experience for consumers. With the 5G launch in the first half of 2020, SmarTone again achieved a major “first” with the first Ericsson Spectrum Sharing deployment in Asia Pacific. From the day SmarTone launched, it had the widest coverage in the territory, simply because it was able to activate existing radios used for 4G to also be used for 5G. SmarTone achieved this through a simple, remote software upgrade that enabled the radios to mix 4G and 5G signals on existing 4G spectrum.
Security as a major focus for SmarTone
One very important consideration in SmarTone’s choice of vendor for 5G was security. These days, there are lots of security threats coming from different sources and SmarTone has been very focused on providing peace of mind to end-users. Providing security solutions, not just on the apps or the smartphone but also on the network is critical. Ultimately, SmarTone aims to provide the most robust and secure platform for its customers.
Overcoming challenges in one of the world’s busiest subways systems
Many years ago, the huge challenge of providing connectivity to commuters in the MTR (one of the world’s busiest subways systems) put Ericsson’s technology to the test. After going to Ericsson’s headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, and talking to the company’s R&D teams to work in collaboration with the teams in Hong Kong, the problem was solved, making our performance in the MTR vastly superior.
5G for the enterprise and enhancing productivity
More than any “G” in the past, 5G is expected to have a big impact on enterprises. It’s expected to help improve both the products that companies develop and the productivity/efficiency of operations. The combination of various technologies with 5G, including artificial intelligence, automation, edge computing and the process of digital transformation are expected to have a profound effect on the way enterprises do business.
If it can be done in Hong Kong, it can be done anywhere
SmarTone and Ericsson have had a long-standing collaboration (28 years) that has helped SmarTone to achieve many “firsts”. If SmarTone was able to build a great network in Hong Kong, there’s nowhere in the world where it couldn’t be done.
Read more
Read more about Ericsson Spectrum Sharing.
Read the related Ericsson news story: SmarTone launches 5G.