MTS, Ericsson bring 5G to Russia

NEW DELHI: Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson and Mobile TeleSystems OJSC (MTS), the leading telecommunications provider in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), have agreed to cooperate on 5G research and deployment in Russia.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two companies covers spectrum studies of the next generation network and the building of a test system.

The companies will focus initially on development of requirements and use cases, as well as performance evaluation and applicability of potential 5G key technology components.

The project will support a dialog with government regulators concerning the bands being targeted for 5G and requirements for next generation systems.

The partnership will also lead to implementation of 5G-related technologies in MTS' network, such as Ericsson Lean Carrier and the use of unlicensed spectrum, and other technologies that use the design concepts Ericsson is developing for 5G.

"Next year, we will start to test our key vendor's developments through a series of pilot projects on the MTS network, in order for both of us to have a complete understanding of the performance of the solutions in our 5G networks. By working proactively throughout the process of 5G standardization, we will be ready to build first stages of the principally new network that will dramatically change our lives and the role of things around us, and will empower people and horizons of knowledge in all fields -- homes, schools, medicine, science, transport, entertainment and many other areas,” said Andrey Ushatskiy, Vice President, Technology and IT, Chief Technology and Information Officer, MTS.

"This project marks an important milestone and brings the development of the most innovative technologies to Russia. By 2018, we plan to not only conduct research, but also to test and implement key technologies that will improve MTS network performance and application coverage. 5G will revolutionize user experiences in mobile technology during the FIFA World Cup in 2018,” said Jeff Travers, Head of Customer Unit MTS, Ericsson Northern Europe and Central Asia.