Ericsson and Rogers showcase Canada’s first live event 5G Cloud RAN demo on a commercial network

TORONTO, July 2, 2024 – On Canada Day, Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC, news, filings) and Rogers (TSX: RCI.A and RCI.B; NYSE: RCI) achieved a milestone with the first-ever live event trial deployment of 5G Cloud Radio Access Network (RAN) technology over a commercial network in Canada. The two companies successfully completed the proof of concept at Rogers Centre, during the Blue Jays game in an environment of heavy data usage.

“We are constantly innovating to meet the evolving needs of Canadians and are proud to work with partners that constantly innovate and capitalize on technology trends and shifts to stay ahead of the curve,” says Jeanette Irekvist, President of Ericsson Canada. “This joint Cloud RAN 5G proof of concept deployment between Ericsson and Rogers demonstrated in real-time the potential of the technology and the progress of our collaboration with Rogers. With partnerships like this, we come closer to our goal of enabling our partners to deploy cloud-native networks.”

Cloud RAN is an important product for communication service providers that want to implement cloud-native technology and open network architecture. Ericsson’s focus on this technology underscores the important role that the cloud continues to play in the evolution of the telecommunications industry, offering new opportunities to scale and foster network efficiency and virtualization.

Ron McKenzie, Chief Technology Officer, Rogers Communications, says, “Cloud-native technology is a critical component in the next generation of wireless networks and we are proud to have completed Canada’s first deployment of 5G Cloud RAN technology at a major live event. We continue to invest in our coast-to-coast radio access network, including innovative Cloud-native technologies, to deliver the most reliable, consistent network services across the country for both consumer and enterprise customers.”

Ericsson Cloud RAN is a cloud-native solution that virtualizes RAN functions and decouples hardware from software, offering service providers increased flexibility, faster services delivery and greater scalability in networks. The deployment by Ericsson and Rogers, both committed to driving industry-leading innovation for 5G networks in Canada, demonstrated the potential of the technology to help Canadian providers deploy, manage, and upgrade networks more dynamically.

This collaboration builds on previous successful Cloud RAN deployments and demos by Ericsson worldwide with other leading providers, securing Canada a spot as a frontrunner in 5G network innovation.

Ericsson Canada has played a vital role in the country’s innovation ecosystem for more than 70 years, including supporting communications service providers through every generation of mobile communication. By providing cutting-edge, sustainable technology solutions, Ericsson is helping Canadian CSPs meet their sustainability goals, reduce their environmental impact, and drive digital inclusion across the nation. Ericsson Canada is also a partner in the national ecosystem network aimed at fostering 5G adoption and collaboration in Canada.