Ericsson has been selected by Asia-Pacific Telecom (APT) to modernise the operator's network and support its 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) Multi-Operator Core Network readiness. This includes integration with Far EasTone Telecommunications (FET) on the 3.5 GHz frequency band in Taiwan.
Under the terms of the agreement, Ericsson will provide radio access network (RAN) products from its 5G-ready Ericsson Radio System portfolio as well as 5G NSA licences for 5G Multi-Operator Core Networks (MOCN). The contract also covers Ericsson Network Manager, OSS migration services and upgrade.
In September, FET and APT entered a partnership to provide 5G services on Taiwan's 3.5 GHz frequency band through the nation's first MOCN, where two or more core networks share the same RAN and bandwidth. The collaboration includes 700 MHz shared RAN to be used on both 4G and 5G technologies.
As part of this new deal, several mobile sites will be upgraded with the latest Ericsson 5G RAN technology. The currently installed Ericsson basebands will be modernised to the latest 5G technology standard to match FET's network quality and maximise service.
With the deployment of Ericsson Network Manager, Apt will be able to operate between 4G and 5G networks, with a set of unified applications to manage radio access, transport and core networks securely from end to end.
Ericsson now has 124 commercial 5G agreements with communications service providers globally, 74 of which have been publicly announced.
