Ericsson Signs Deal with SoftBank for Network Upgrade

SoftBank signed a contract with Ericsson as one of the suppliers of 4G and 5G network equipment for an upgrade of its RAN infrastructure in parts of Japan. The new commercial agreement covers low-, mid-, and high-band frequencies.

This would expand SoftBank’s standalone 5G coverage and support for automation and operational efficiency improvements using AI, Ericsson stated. SoftBank CTO Hideyuki Tsukuda explained that the upgrade will focus on SA 5G deployment and AI utilisation.

The vendor will supply lightweight and ultra-wide-band TDD massive MIMO radios and its latest generation RAN Compute basebands in Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Hokuriku, Tokai, and parts of the Kansai region. It added the RAN Compute boosts data storage and parallel processing capabilities, enabling real-time AI execution in the baseband, making AI deployment easier and more energy efficient.