31 May 2022

BT and Ericsson collaborate on first UK private commercial 5G networks

BT and Ericsson have formed a new joint venture partnership to provide commercial 5G private networks for the UK market in what the duo claim is the first agreement of its kind.

The multi-year multi-million-pound deal will combine BT’s expertise in building converged fixed and mobile networks with Ericsson’s 5G network technology and enterprise solutions.

According to a forecast from Market Research, 5G Private Networks are predicted to grow at an average rate of 40 per cent a year between 2021 and 2028 to reach £10.7bn. Both BT and Ericsson claim there is significant demand from UK businesses looking to take advantage of the benefits the new technology can provide.

The deal will enable BT to sell next generation mobile network technology products to businesses and organisations in sectors such as manufacturing, defence, education, retail, healthcare, transport and logistics. Private networks are wireless solutions that provide secure indoor and outdoor 5G cellular coverage, making them suitable for a range of uses in environments such as factories, education campuses and other large sites where security and ultra-low latency connectivity are important.

New innovative applications and IoT capabilities can be enabled through a private 5G network to optimise operations through asset tracking, predictive maintenance, connected sensors, real-time data processing and robotics as part of the development of Industry 4.0.