In our global market studies, we often turn to the leading markets and service providers to learn from their best practice. In our recent report, 5G Pacesetters, we identified key strategies that the most successful service providers apply in 5G deployment and marketing. We believe all service providers can benefit from these findings and have developed the Pacesetters insight series to support service providers on their journey to becoming 5G Pacesetters.
In this series of short videos, our 5G experts delve into the winning strategies identified in the report and share their own perspectives on 5G and the opportunities that come with the new technology. To kick off the launch of this new series, I’d like to elaborate further on how we at Ericsson contribute to making these strategies a reality for our customers.
A collaborative way of working
5G is not just about the one killer app, but about a multitude of new apps and devices. We know that consumers want innovative services attached to their 5G subscriptions, but service providers’ core strengths lie within connectivity, not application development. Service providers therefore need to find partnerships that leverage both the great capabilities of 5G, but also the innovation power of the wider ecosystem. To support the development of this ecosystem, we initiated the Ericsson Startup 5G program. In our insight series, Cristina Oprea, Senior Researcher and driver of Ericsson Startup 5G, will discuss how our program brings service providers and start-ups together to take new innovative services to market.
5G-powered service innovation
For these partnerships to be successful in bringing new 5G applications to consumers, the network must be ready to handle them. When we talk about 5G use cases, they’re often high-performance, low-latency applications. Our solution to achieve this, Time-Critical Communication (TCC), provides a set of features that address the challenges of delivering mobile data in a speedy and reliable way. Compared to traditional mobile broadband, TCC focuses on delivering data with as low latency as possible, matching the requirement of lag-sensitive apps such as mobile gaming, or augmented and virtual reality. In our insight series, Marie Hogan, Head of Mobile Broadband, Voice and New Business, will discuss how Ericsson drives the development of this new type of data service through the platform for innovation that is TCC.
5G accelerating broadband uptake
The high capacity and performance of 5G also make it perfect for one of the most appealing near-term use cases, Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), which is all about bringing broadband connectivity to homes. 5G FWA brings clear and immediate benefits to consumers, in that it is easy to deploy, cost-efficient, and can compete with fiber in terms of both cost and performance. In our insight series, John Yazlle, Head of Fixed Wireless Access, will discuss the six market opportunities for service providers, ranging from “connecting the unconnected” to providing a good solution as a “fiber replacement”. John will also share examples of how service providers can monetize 5G FWA through speed tiering and service level agreements.
New pricing models to monetize the 5G opportunity
As Peter Engblom, Business Advisor for BSS, will discuss in a later insight episode, 5G FWA is just one of many opportunities for service providers to monetize 5G. A dynamic and agile Business Support System (BSS) controlling charging and billing flows is becoming vital for service providers to effectively monetize the value that 5G brings to consumers. With 5G, there is no longer a one-size-fits-all mentality. Instead, services are charged on a micro-level. 5G will allow for instant adaptations of data plans to better fit consumers’ needs, and technologies such as network slicing will allow for truly customized services that deliver according to their expectations.
A network that delivers on consumer expectations – anywhere, anytime
On the topic of consumer expectations, a near-term opportunity with 5G is to raise the bar when it comes to smartphone experience. This means delivering a consistent performance across the network, anywhere, anytime. In our insight series, Tomas Sandin, Head of Radio Portfolio Management, will elaborate on how Ericsson’s versatile portfolio in 5G Radio supports a better user experience, both indoors and outdoors. Tomas will also share case studies of service providers deploying 5G networks, with “delivering the best user experience” as their number-one priority.
In his second insight session, Tomas will explain how the Ericsson portfolio brings much-needed efficiency, capacity and performance boosts to 5G networks. Growing demand for mobile data services is a welcome business opportunity, but with an annual traffic growth of around 50 percent, networks need to be ready. Thanks to the spectral efficiency of the new Massive MIMO technology, combined with the high bandwidth of the mid and high spectrum bands, 5G is the most efficient mobile technology in history. With these capabilities in their hands, service providers have the toolbox to build the networks of the future, today.
From insights to action
We believe any service provider can take steps to becoming a 5G Pacesetter, and we are here to support, wherever you are on the journey. To find out more, register for our 5G Pacesetters insight series, where our expert speakers will be summarizing these topics in short videos released every two weeks.
The first episode is already available, and features Jasmeet Sethi, Head of Ericsson ConsumerLab, as he introduces the report’s key findings and methodology, explaining how “5G Pacesetters” have been identified, and giving an overview of their paths to success.
Sign up to delve into the first deep dive, and to stay up to date with the series as each episode is released.
