Wireless carrier U.S. Cellular continues to push forward with its plans to provide a nationwide 5G network to consumers, and taking a large step towards realizing those ambitions, the telecommunications company is partnering with Ericsson as its supplier of equipment to deploy 24, 28, and 39 GHz (mmWave). The Head of Customer Unit Regional Carriers for Ericsson, Rob Johnson spoke on the matter stating, “By supplying 24, 28 and 39 GHz mmWave high-band and CBRS mid-band radios along with industry-leading 4G and 5G products and services, Ericsson will enable U.S. Cellular’s customers to take advantage of all of the speed and versatility that 5G networks have to offer.”
mmWave bands of 5G spectrum will allow the company with a viable solution to provide consumers faster connection speeds without issues with lagging. In addition to this equipment, Ericsson will also be assisting with support for its equipment and supplying 4G Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) equipment and support.
This isn’t the first time the two companies have collaborated on network projects. Ericsson was selected as U.S. Cellular’s 5G equipment vendor in both Iowa and Wisconsin in 2019 with additional operations in other states earlier this year. “We highly value our long relationship with Ericsson to provide cutting-edge network service for our customers,” said U.S. Cellular’s Executive Vice President Michael Irizarry, “Working with Ericsson to deliver and deploy these solutions will help us deliver fast, reliable connectivity for customers in urban and rural areas, as we continue to build a more powerful network with the latest 5G technology.”
With both high-band and mid-band equipment being deployed, the company is making a concentrated effort to create a comprehensive 5G network. Companies such as AT&T and T-Mobile are already operating on nationwide 5G networks, however, they are heavily connected through low-band networks. Each band has its strengths and weaknesses with low-band spectrum traveling farther but with lower speeds and vice versa for mmWave/high-band networks. Using multiple bands will allow consumers to experience a more seamless experience. The future is now as U.S. Cellular builds out its 5G mmWave network in 2020 with the plans of commercial usage available in 2021.
Source: WFMZ