SoftBank signs 5G deals with Ericsson, Nokia

Japan’s SoftBank has signed 5G deployment contracts with both Ericsson and Nokia as it prepares to launch services over its newly-granted 5G spectrum.

Ericsson has announced it has been selected as a primary vendor for the deployment of a multi-band 5G network utilizing Softbank’s 3.9-GHz to 4-GHz and 29.1-GHz to 29.5-GHz spectrum bands.

SoftBank will deploy radio access network equipment including products from the Ericsson Radio System portfolio to allow it to enhance its existing LTE network while optimizing its 5G network.

SoftBank and Ericsson have been trialing 5G technologies since 2015, and have since expanded their collaboration to include 5G testing of multi-bands, including 28-GHz and 4.5-GHz.

SoftBank and Ericsson have been partners since the 2G era and we are thrilled to support them on this latest part of their technology journey,” Ericsson SVP and head of North East Asia Chris Houghton said.

“With the help of our advanced product portfolio, SoftBank can unlock the potential of 5G for Japanese society and we look forward to building on our long-standing partnership.”

Meanwhile SoftBank will deploy Nokia’s 5G AirScale technology across Japan, enabling the delivery of 5G mobile broadband, ultra-reliable low latency connectivity (URLLC) and machine type communication (eMTC) services.

SoftBank plans to launch 5G services with Nokia’s AirScale solution in both distributed and centralized RAN configurations, according to Nokia Japan head John Harrington.

“We are delighted to continue our long-term relationship with SoftBank and to be working with them as a trusted end to end partner at such an important milestone in the transformation to 5G. We are committed to help SoftBank launch their commercial 5G network.”