Ericsson secures new 5G contract in Taiwan

Ericsson has been selected by Taiwanese operator Asia-Pacific Telecom (APT) to modernize its network and support with 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) Multi-Operator Core Network readiness, the Swedish vendor said in a release.

This includes integration with rival operator 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) solutions from its 5G-ready Ericsson Radio System portfolio as well as 5G NSA licenses to do 5G Multi-Operator Core Networks (MOCN). The contract also covers Ericsson Network Manager and OSS migration services and upgrades.

In September 2020, FET and APT had announced 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 agreement, a number of mobile sites will be upgraded with Ericsson 5G RAN technology. The currently installed Ericsson baseband will be modernized to the latest 5G technology standard to match FET’s network quality.

“Ericsson continues to accelerate the overall progress of 5G development in Taiwan, supporting both APT and FET to quickly launch new services to market and provide Taiwanese consumers and enterprises with the highest quality communication services,” said Chafic Nassif, president of Ericsson Taiwan. “Our enhanced 5G platform provides the technological backbone for the nation’s first Multi-Operator Core Network and we will continue to support both service providers with their successful integration and partnership.”