In the international stadium of 5G implementation, Japan has long been established as a major player. But the landscape has changed since those early days as a pioneer in 5G adoption. Today, communication service providers (CSPs) compete fiercely over performance rankings, while striving to meet growing needs in a market full of challenges.
Densely populated urban environments and growing data traffic demand increasingly high capacity and coverage, while the country’s unique and numerous frequency bands call for customized solutions to optimize performance. At the same time, seasonal environmental factors such as regular typhoons and earthquakes emphasize the need for more resilient infrastructure.
Advancing 5G in Japan with a championship mindset
As another recent blog post on 5G’s role in Japan’s digital future stated, there is a growing need to take 5G networks in the country to the next level – to meet differentiated connectivity needs and improve performance, reclaiming their competitive edge. To do this, Japanese CSPs need a strong strategy that will get them ahead. As someone with a love for soccer (a passion that has been rekindled now my son is old enough to join me on the field), I can’t think of anywhere better to look for inspiration when it comes to winning strategies than a championship soccer (or football) team.
In telecom networks, much like in soccer, success requires more than the capabilities or skills of any one individual component or player. It demands collaboration and pooling of resources. To excel, you need a holistic strategy focused on teamwork and coordination, where all the players on the field are working in unity as an all-star team to deliver their best possible performance – or an interconnected system working towards seamless connectivity.
1. Targeted and united attack tactics: scoring with performance
A championship team ensures that its attacking players are well-equipped and positioned to score goals. In telecommunications, antennas play a similar role, enabling superior throughput, spectrum utilization and beam efficiency. Their agility also offers advantages in outplaying the competition, with tailored solutions enabling the best results across a broad range of frequencies.
Expanded coverage is a must for efficiently optimizing network-wide performance in high-density environments, as explored in our analysis of antenna performance in dense urban scenarios. Maximizing spectrum utilization not only enhances network capacity, it also improves energy efficiency and can even extend the battery life of devices, as shown in our benchmark report on antenna efficiency – a score sure to get the crowds of consumers cheering. Given Japan’s dense urban landscape and high mobile data usage, these improvements are crucial for maintaining robust connectivity and customer satisfaction.
Key goals scored:
- More than four times better coverage without requiring additional radio output
- Double the network capacity, enhancing both downlink and uplink performance
- 35 percent longer device battery life, for greater customer satisfaction
2. Powerhouse in the midfield: stamina and resilience
Midfielders in soccer deliver reliable and consistent support, with the stamina to keep up the pace throughout the game – and the season – much like how network infrastructure must withstand demanding conditions over time. Japan’s exposure to extreme weather events, particularly typhoons and earthquakes, makes infrastructure resilience a particularly critical factor.
Fortunately, resilience and quality are fields where our skills shine – as Japanese customers of Ericsson RAN products may already be aware. Cutting-edge research and innovation are brought to life through precise, detailed German engineering and the best European quality materials and products – all delivered in a timely fashion by a trusted partner you know is on your team at every step. This quality results in longer equipment lifespans, reducing the need for frequent replacements and lowering maintenance costs, which can be explored further in our dynamic wind-load testing demonstrations (link to YouTube).
By considering challenging natural environmental situations case-by-case and prioritizing robustness, CSPs can ensure their networks remain operational, delivering reliable connectivity while improving their total cost of operations. Our antennas offer an ideal solution, being specifically designed to withstand harsh weather conditions, even in challenging climates like Japan’s. In fact, our newly-launched trio net design antennas are industry-leading when it comes to wind load.
Key goals scored:
- Industry leaders when it comes to wind load
- Vortex generator technology - the first to improve wind load by up to 60 percent
- Top quality equipment for longer lifespan and excellent resilience
3. A strong defense: energy efficiency and sustainability
On the soccer field, a solid defense is essential to guard against opposition attacks, just as energy efficiency and sustainability are crucial for protecting the long-term viability of our networks and our planet alike. Sustainability is becoming a key driver in network evolution, with CSPs balancing performance requirements with environmental responsibility, increasingly looking for solutions that reduce operational costs while aligning with their sustainability goals.
Energy-efficient antennas contribute to significantly better uplink throughput, reducing energy consumption while maintaining high performance, as highlighted in Ericsson’s benchmark study on network performance. Lower radio output power not only supports emissions reduction, it also helps extend the battery life in user devices such as smart phones or tablets by up to 35 percent, allowing them to operate longer on a single charge.
The use of sustainable materials is also a key part of Japan’s carbon neutrality initiatives. Our revolutionary honeycomb structure delivers a 49 percent lower embodied carbon footprint, while our durable and lightweight radome materials and designs were showcased as part of our wind-load verification process.
Key goals scored:
- Up to 57 percent better uplink throughput, reducing energy consumption
- 29 percent reduction in radio output power, supporting emissions reduction
- 49 percent lower embodied carbon footprint with honeycomb structure
Passing the ball: the power of teamwork
Modern soccer teams emphasize teamwork in their playing styles, strategically passing the ball to create scoring opportunities. In the same way, Japanese CSPs are adopting infrastructure-sharing initiatives to manage costs, improve efficiency and accommodate increasing data demands. As network-sharing agreements gain traction, seamless integration and cooperation between operators become critical. A collaborative approach enables operators to optimize resources and deliver improved services.
Building a winning team for the seasons to come
By focusing on the holistic performance improvements brought about by Ericsson’s end-to-end network solutions (and embodied through the new trio net trio net design philosophy), operators can ensure their networks are equipped for both current and future demands.
The evolution to 5G Advanced and beyond requires long-term planning and strategic execution. You need to start building a strong team, tactics and skills now in order to win big in the challenging seasons and competitions to come.
By choosing Ericsson antennas, Japanese CSPs won’t just be building robust, efficient and sustainable networks designed to thrive – and come out on top – in Japan's demanding environment. They’ll also be doing it with the guidance of an experienced leader. Like any good coaching team, at Ericsson we not only understand the skills and capabilities of every player on the field, but also how they can best work together to meet the needs of CSPs and their customers in the unique stadium that is the Japanese telecom market.
From kick-off until the final whistle blows, we will be there – a trusted partner, ready to offer end-to-end suggestions and solutions whenever they are needed. Game on!
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