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Tag: Ericsson

  • FG signs MoU with Ericsson to spread 5G across Nigeria

    FG signs MoU with Ericsson to spread 5G across Nigeria

    The Nigerian Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ericsson to establish a framework of cooperation on 5G technology development, deployment and innovation. 5G is the fifth generation of cellular networks. Up to 100 times faster than 4G. 5G has created never-before-seen opportunities for people and businesses.

    The Minister of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, signed the MoU on behalf of Nigeria while Mr Peter Olusoji Ogundele, Country Manager, Ericsson Nigeria, signed for the company.

    The MoU, which was signed at the Ericsson’s Global Headquarters Research and Development lab in Kista, North of Stockholm was witnessed by the Vice-President, Kashim Shettima. Similarly, the signing of the MoU was witnessed by Mr Patrick Johansson, Ericsson Senior Vice President and Head of Business Area Middle East and Africa.

    Earlier, the company conducted the Vice-President Shettima on a demonstration-tour of its mobile communications infrastructure solutions. The company also made a presentation to Shettima about its 5G technology evolution, radio spectrum matters and standardisation as well as Cyber and Network Security by Ericsson professionals.

    Speaking after the presentation, Shettima asked the company on the possibility of deploying its 5G technology to help Nigeria improve the security of its oil facilities.

    ”What value can you add to us? Security of oil facilities, oil pipelines. How can you come in with 5G to secure the oil pipelines, address the issue of oil theft and vandalisation of the pipelines. The quantum of oil theft that is lifted is very crucial for economic planning and everything,” he said.

    On his part, Tijani explained that the signing of the MoU would enable Nigeria to make the most use of 5G technologies in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

    ”So we signed the MoU to set up an innovation lab with Ericsson, and the focus of that lab will be to come up with applications that is based on 5G technology. For things in agriculture, mining and in some cases in education as well for the general usage of connectivity to improve the quality of lives for our people.

    ”The Renewed Hope Agenda, in particular, goes into what we are trying to do with the reforms. The aim of the reforms is to diversify our economy and it is clear that we cannot diversify our economy without digital technology.

    ”With this MoU we can strengthen the state of connectivity, particularly 5G, you know Nigeria is already one of the few countries with 5G on the continent.

    ”With the MoU, we can continue to ensure the spread of 5G across the country not just in key locations and this is how we can ensure that we see the growth that we want to see in our economy,” he said.

    Tijani described the visit of the Vice-President Shettima to Sweden as ” extremely important to the growth and development of Nigeria’s digitisation drive process.

    ”But I have to speak to the strength of Sweden as a country and how the visit of the Vice-President is extremely important. This is a country that built the use of technology to lift front development. It’s a country that is extremely powerful in technology and business.

    ”They have significant brands likes Volvo, Ericsson, they are global brands. And I think for the reforms that is going on in the country and ambition to raise the level of productivity and make our economy more competitive.

    ”It is important that we used the strength of the VP and this visit, to truly deepen the relationship and that is what the VP has done with all the meetings that he had,” he said.

    Dignitaries that witnessed the signing of the MoU were; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, Executive Vice-Chairman (EVC), Nigerian Communication Commission, Aminu Maida, Gov. Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau.

    Others are Mr Khalil Halilu, Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Malam Kashifu Abdullahi, Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Charge d’affaires, Nigerian Embassy, Sweden, Malam Aliyu Mahmud; among others.

  • Ericsson launches Internet of Things accelerator

    Ericsson launches Internet of Things accelerator

    Multinational technology company, Ericsson, has launched Internet of Things (IoT) Accelerator to make connectivity easier for enterprises globally.

    Ericsson, in a statement on Wednesday, said that the accelerator would deliver a reliable and secure cellular IoT platform that empowers communications service providers (CSPs) and enterprises worldwide.

    It said that for enterprises, the IoT Accelerator Connect would deliver a unifying layer of packaged services to minimise complexity.

    According to Ericsson, the IoT accelerator would enable developers use tools to scale from one device to millions of devices seamlessly within minutes.

    “Devices can be connected at any time, including end-to-end device onboarding, with a cellular IoT-ready module instantly connecting the subscription to the customer’s network of choice.

    “In addition, the solution makes it easier to connect devices to public cloud endpoints.

    IoT Accelerator Connect advances digital transformation throughout the IoT ecosystem.

    “Ericsson channel partners can onboard more enterprises with greater ease and grow their business,” it said.

    Kyle Okamoto, General Manager of IoT at Ericsson said : “We are proud to make it easier for enterprises of any size to instantly engage and benefit from the world of IoT connectivity.

    Okamoto said that by offering plug-and-play simplicity, Ericsson IoT Accelerator Connect marked a major leap in transforming access to IoT connectivity.

    He said that the solution covers connectivity of devices, networks and clouds, while removing hurdles for enterprises, and communications service providers, among others, to accelerate the growth of their IoT businesses.

  • Ericson predicts increase in global 5G subscriptions

    Ericson predicts increase in global 5G subscriptions

    Ericsson technology company on Monday forecast 3.5 billion 5G subscriptions and 60 per cent global 5G population coverage by 2026.

    Borje Ekholm, President and CEO, Ericsson, in a statement said that the scale of the technology shift would unleash an entirely new wave of innovation to address some of the planet’s most pressing issues.

    Ekholm said, “For almost 150 years, Ericson technology has transformed nearly every sector of society.

    “The networks we build have already connected billions of people and soon they will connect almost anything and everything.

    “This era of hyper connectivity is going to help to address major global challenges like climate change and digital inclusion.

    “Our new purpose and vision is anchored in the company’s values of respect, professionalism, perseverance and integrity.

    “To capture the emerging opportunities, Ericsson launches its new purpose and vision to create connections that make the unimaginable possible and a world where limitless connectivity improves lives, redefines business and pioneers a sustainable future, “he said.

    The statement said that Stella Medlicott, Head of Group Function Marketing and Corporate Relations, Ericsson, said that connectivity was key to reducing human impact on the planet and would help bridge the digital divide.

    “Ericsson is launching a new look and feel for its brand as well as a series of future scenarios it believes will emerge in an era of hyper connectivity:

    “By connecting every learning establishment and every learner.

    “Future workforces will be increasingly more dependent on digital technologies for life-long learning and upskilling while mobile networks will deliver quality education to every school regardless of location.

    “Entire business models will be transformed by limitless connectivity using real-time data that feeds instantly into design and manufacturing processes.

    “The 5G platform that is currently being rolled out around the world is a fundamental, first step in helping to build this future digital society.”

  • Ericsson invites young talents for 2021 Innovation Awards

    Multinational Telecommunications Company, Ericsson, has invited young Nigerian talents to register for its annual global Innovation Awards (EIA) 2021 with a grand prize of €25,000.

    Ericsson announced the 2021 awards in a statement signed by Adebola Balogun, of CMC connect BCW, the company’s communications consultant in Nigeria.

    The telecommunications giant said that the award offered university students around the world the chance to develop new, innovative ideas with support from Ericsson experts.

    The theme for the 2021 EIA is “Bridge the Digital Divide”.

    “The digital revolution has transformed the world, enriching our lives in countless ways yet half the planet lives without access to the tools, information, and resources that many of us rely on every day.

    “As the world becomes increasingly reliant on technology, the digital divide is growing. Economic, geographic, gender and access factors have left vast portions of the global population at a severe disadvantage.

    “Innovations come in all sizes, from simple changes in code that could redefine the networks of the future to complex technological advances that will advance humanitarian efforts across the world,” Ericsson said.

    The company said it believed that young people drive innovation and development when it comes to current pressing issues.

    “That’s why, with innovation at the heart of Ericsson, we want to invite young talents to register for Ericsson Innovation Awards 2021,” it said.

    Interested candidates are encouraged to enter the competition and form diverse teams of two to four members.

    Teams must register and submit their ideas by August 5 and the first 50 submissions will receive extra guidance for refining their ideas.

    Finalists grand prize winners receive €25,000 for the first place, €15,000 for the second place and €5,000 for the third place with an additional bonus of €2,000 for the finalist with the most votes on @ericssoncareers Instagram account.

  • Nigeria emerges 3rd in global mobile subscriptions additions

    Nigeria emerges 3rd in global mobile subscriptions additions

    Nigeria has the third highest mobile subscriptions additions in the first quarter of 2021 globally, says the latest mobility report by multinational telecommunications company, Ericsson.

    Ericsson’s Vice President and Head of Ericsson South and East Africa, Todd Ashton, made this known on Tuesday during a virtual press briefing to launch the company’s latest mobility report.

    The report said that India had the most net additions of (+26 million), followed by China (+6 million) and Nigeria (+3 million).

    Ashton said: “Positioned as the third highest mobile subscriptions additions in Q1 2021 globally, Nigeria is growing tremendously setting Africa in motion.

    He noted that the growth could be attributed to the young, growing population, the increasing digital skills, and the more affordable smartphones.

    “Correspondingly, this growth is reflected in the online habits of the country where the dependency on online activities for daily tasks is expected to remain high in the future.”

    It said the net addition of mobile subscriptions was quite low during the first quarter(Q1) of 2021, at 59 million.

    Ericsson said this was likely due to the pandemic and associated lockdown restrictions.

    The report reveals that despite the uncertainty caused by COVID-19, service providers continue to switch on 5G, and more than 160 service providers have launched commercial 5G services.

    It also features breakout statistics from Sub-Saharan African markets where around 15 per cent of mobile subscriptions were for 4G at the end of 2020.

    Mobile broadband subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa are predicted to increase, reaching 76 per cent of mobile subscriptions by 2026, it said.

    According to the report, 5G volumes are not expected to grow in the sub Saharan region for 2021 but are likely to reach around 70 million 5G subscriptions in 2026.

    Separately, the Global Telecom Market Report (GTM), also known as “The Future of Urban Reality Report”, was also recently launched by the Ericsson ConsumerLab.

    It was launched to assess the penetration of 5G and the tremendous potential it holds to markets around the world.

    According to the company, latest ConsumerLab report is Ericsson’s largest consumer study to date, revealing key insights about what Nigerian consumers believe will happen beyond the pandemic, into the year 2025.

    Ericsson surveyed a sample of 1,000 to 2,000 respondents between the ages of 15–79.

    The report shows that when entering the “next normal”, consumers in Africa will have added an average of 3.4 per cent online services to their daily online activities.

    It also says that the time they spend online would increase by 10 hours per week by 2025, in comparison to their pre-pandemic habits.

    Ericsson says this move is also expected to bridge the gap between moderate and advanced online users, with the more moderate online users having introduced more online services in their daily life over the course of the pandemic.

    It said that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the implementation of online education at schools and universities as well as remote working in Nigeria has increased to 72 per cent and 62 per cent, respectively.

    The report stated that going forward online education and remote working were collectively expected to remain at a level of 29 per cent.

    It said that before the COVID-19 pandemic, the amount of online shopping in Nigeria stood at 35 per cent out of the total number of all shopping events, both online and at physical stores.

    “During the COVID-19 pandemic, this figure increased to 51 per cent.

    “Nigerian consumers online shopping is anticipated to remain at a level of 44 per cent after the COVID-19 pandemic has passed,” it said.

  • 5G will become fastest adopted mobile generation in history

    5G will become fastest adopted mobile generation in history

    Ericsson, a multinational telecommunications company says that 5G will soon become the fastest adopted mobile generation in history.

    Ericsson made this known in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos, noting that subscriptions were increasing at a rate of about a million per day.

    According to the report, China, North America and the Gulf Cooperation Council markets are leading the way on subscriber numbers, while Europe is off to a slow start.

    It said that 5G subscriptions with a 5G-capable device grew by 70 million during the first quarter of 2021 and is forecast to reach 580 million by the end of 2021.

    The forecast, which features in the 20th edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report, enhances the expectation that 5G would become the fastest adopted mobile generation.

    It said that about 3.5 billion 5G subscriptions and 60 per cent 5G population coverage, had been estimated by the end of 2026.

    The report, however, said the pace of adoption varies widely by region, adding that Europe was off to a slower start and has continued to fall far behind China, the U.S., Korea, Japan and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets in the pace of 5G deployments.

    According to the report, 5G is expected to surpass a billion subscriptions two years ahead of the 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) timeline for the same milestone.

    The report said that key factors behind the growth included China’s earlier commitment to 5G, availability and increasing affordability of commercial 5G devices.

    It said that more than 300 5G smartphone models had already been announced or inaugurated commercially.

    “This commercial 5G momentum is expected to continue in coming years, spurred by the enhanced role of connectivity as a key component of post-COVID-19 economic recovery.

    “North East Asia is expected to account for the largest share of 5G subscriptions by 2026, with an estimated 1.4 billion 5G subscriptions.

    “While North American and GCC markets are expected to account for the highest 5G subscription penetration, with 5G mobile subscriptions comprising 84 per cent and 73 per cent of all regional mobile subscriptions respectively,’’ it said.

    Fredrik Jejdling, the Executive Vice President and Head of Networks, Ericsson said “This landmark twentieth edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report shows that we are in the next phase of 5G.

    “With accelerating roll-outs and coverage expansion in pioneer markets such as China, the U.S. and South Korea.’’

    Jejdling said it was now time for advanced use cases to start materialising and deliver on the promise of 5G.

    He said businesses and societies were also preparing for a post-pandemic world, with 5G-powered digitisation playing a critical role.

    The report also highlights that Smartphones and video driving mobile data traffic continues to grow year-on-year.

    It said one exabyte (EB) comprises 1,000,000,000 (1 billion) gigabytes (GB).

    The report added that global mobile data traffic – excluding traffic generated by fixed wireless access (FWA) – exceeded 49 EB per month at the end of 2020, and was projected to grow by a factor of close to five to reach 237 EB per month in 2026.

    The report said that smartphones, which currently carried 95 per cent of this traffic, were also consuming more data than ever.

     

    It said that globally, the average usage-per-smartphone now exceeded 10 GB per month and was forecast to reach 35 GB per month by the end of 2026.

    According to the report, the COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating digitisation and increasing the importance and the need for reliable, high-speed mobile broadband connectivity.

    It said that latest report showed that almost nine out of ten communications service providers (CSPs) that had inaugurated 5G, and had also fixed wireless access (FWA) offering (4G or 5G), even in markets with high fiber penetration.

    According to the report, it is needed to accommodate increasing FWA traffic, which it forecasts to grow by a factor of seven to reach 64 EB in 2026.

  • Ericsson launches critical communications broadband portfolio

    Ericsson on Thursday said it had launched a critical communications broadband portfolio for the benefit of service providers.

    Per Narvinger, Head of Product Area Networks, Ericsson, said that this would enable service providers to meet the business and mission-critical needs of industries and public safety agencies.

    According to him, Ericsson has developed a new portfolio comprising three offerings: Critical Network Capabilities; Critical Broadband Applications; and Flexible Deployments for both local private networks, and nationwide mission-critical LTE networks.

    “When communication is disrupted by minutes, seconds, or even milliseconds, it can have huge consequences for business operations or serious implications for public safety.

    “Hence the need for fast and reliable communication is therefore paramount.

    “Such critical communications are used in many areas: from first responders and nationwide emergency services to workforce safety in enterprises.

    “There is a growing demand for business-and mission-critical broadband for such cases, service providers need to deliver the highest level of availability, reliability and security to meet this demand, ’’ Narvinger said in a statement.

    He also noted that “the company sees growth opportunities for service providers and government operators by addressing new segments with LTE/5G networks’’.

    Narvinger said that the critical broadband portfolio would enable customers to effectively secure the critical communication needs of sectors such as public safety, energy and utilities, transportation, and manufacturing.

     

  • 10 hot consumer trends for 2019

    10 hot consumer trends for 2019

    Ericsson on Wednesday released the eighth edition of its ConsumerLab trend report, highlighting 10 hot consumer trends for 2019, representing predictions of 34 million early technology adopters.

    Dr Michael Bjorn, Head of Research Agenda at Ericsson Consumer & Industry Lab highlighted this in a report made available to newsmen.

    The report revealed autonomous and mood-predictive technology that could soon play a bigger role in people’s everyday lives.

    He said that today, artificial intelligence could understand our personality just by looking into our eyes.

    According to Bjorn, it is clear that technology adopters see a future where our devices know us better than we know them.

    “Imagine a smartphone that not only knows what you do but also knows who you are,” he said.

    According to Bjorn, the first trend is awareables, which explains that more than 60 per cent of virtual assistant users think devices that understand our moods will be mainstream in three years.

    The official said that the second trend had to do with smart quarrels, which said that over 65 percent of virtual assistant users thought smart speakers would argue like family members in three years.

    “The Spying application which is the third trend projects that over 45 per cent of consumers think apps collect data about them even when they don’t use the app.

    “The fourth trend which has to do with enforced agreement says that always having to accept data collection cookies annoys 51 per cent of consumers, ‘’ Bjorn said.

    According to him, the fifth trend which is Internet of skills explains that more than 50 per cent of Augmented Reality (AR) or Virtual Reality (VR) users want apps, glasses and gloves that give virtual guidance for practical, everyday tasks.

    “The sixth trend which has to do with ‘Zero-touch Consumption’ explains that half of virtual assistant users want automated bills and subscriptions, as well as self-restocking household supplies.

    “The seventh survey on mental obesity says that 31 per cent of consumers soon expect to go to ‘mind gyms’ to practice thinking, as everyday decision-making becomes increasingly automated.

    “The eighth survey which is ‘Eco me’ reports that 39 per cent of consumers want an eco-watch that measures their carbon footprint.

    “The ninth trend talks on ‘My digital twin’ which explains that 48 per cent of AR or VR users want online avatars that mimic them exactly, so they can be in two places at once.

    “The last trend which has to do with ‘5G automates society ‘ says that about 20 per cent of smartphone users believe 5G will better connect Internet of Things (IoT) devices, such as household appliances and utility meters, ‘’ Bjorn said.

    Dr Pernilla Jonsson, Head of Consumer and Industry Lab, Ericsson said that we had already entered the age when humans and intelligent machines were interacting and working together.

    “So far, we have only taken small steps into the future. Most of the zero-touch future is yet to be developed and how we create that future is still in our hands.’’ Jonsson said in a statement.

    Insights in the report were based on Ericsson ConsumerLab’s global research activities of over more than 23 years,.

    It is primarily drawn on data from an online survey conducted during October 2018 of advanced internet users in 10 influential cities across the world.

     

  • Smartphones will consume more than 21GB data per month by 2024 — Ericsson

    Telecommunications giant, Ericsson, on Friday estimated that by the end of 2024 a smartphone user would consume more than 21 gigabyte (GB) of data per month.

    Ericsson made this known in its global mobility report for November 2018 posted on its website.

    The report says that by 2024, data consumption per month on average would be nearly four times the amount consumed in 2018.

    The report, in other words, estimated that the amount of monthly mobile data traffic consumed by a smartphone user would rise from 5.6 GigaBytes to 21 gigabyte .

    According to Ericsson, in addition to the increased usage, the number of smartphone subscriptions is set to increase by 45 per cent, reaching a total of 7.2 billion.

    According to the report, new video- watching behaviours will be the reason for the increased data consumption by smartphone users.

    It also said that video currently stands out as the most significant traffic type consumed by smartphone users, at an average of 60 per cent of total traffic.

    This is predicted to grow by 35% annually through 2024 to account for 74% of all mobile data traffic.

    According to the report, traffic from social networking is also expected to rise – increasing by 24% annually over the next 6 years.

    According to Ericsson, the increase in video data traffic per smartphone user has three main drivers which include, increased viewing time, more video content embedded in news media and social networking and an evolution to higher resolutions.

    The report says that presently, most videos are streamed at low-definition and standard-definition formats 360p and 480p, respectively.

    According to Ericsson, this was due to restrictions introduced by both content and communications service providers, as well as customers selecting formats with lower bitrates to get the most of their data bucket.

    The report, however, says that user behaviours are shifting as network capabilities expand and are projected to change more drastically as 5G services are made available.

    According to Ericsson mobility report, the streaming of high-definition (HD) video in 720p and 1080p resolution is increasing and the average resolution of a YouTube in some Long Term Evolution (LTE) network was already up to 720p.

    The report says that user behaviours are shifting, with low and standard-definition video formats being overtaken by HD and Full HAD formats.

     

  • 5G to cover over 40% of world’s population by 2024

    5G to cover over 40% of world’s population by 2024

    5G is expected to reach more than 40 percent global population coverage and 1.5 billion subscriptions for enhanced mobile broadband by the end of 2024.

    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports this will make 5G the fastest generation of cellular technology to be rolled out on a global scale, according to the latest edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report.

    According to the Mobility Report, North America and North East Asia are expected to lead the 5G uptake.

    In North America, 5G subscriptions are forecast to account for 55 percent of mobile subscriptions by the end of 2024.

    In North East Asia, the corresponding forecast figure is more than 43 percent.

    In Western Europe, 5G is forecast to account for some 30 percent of mobile subscriptions in the region by end of 2024.

    Between 2018-2024, total mobile data traffic is expected to increase by a factor of five, with 5G networks projected to carry 25 percent of mobile traffic by the end of the period.

    “As 5G now hits the market, its coverage build-out and uptake in subscriptions are projected to be faster than for previous generations. At the same time, cellular IoT continues to grow strongly.

    “What we are seeing is the start of fundamental changes that will impact not just the consumer market but many industries,” said Fredrik Jejdling, Executive Vice President and Head of Business Area Networks at Ericsson.