A new Internet of Things-focused (IoT) 5G R&D centre in Russia will soon help to transform the lives of people, businesses, and society – in Russia and beyond.
This is according to Ericsson president and CEO, Börje Ekholm, speaking at the official opening of the joint Ericsson/MTS facility in the Russian Federation Republic of Tatarstan.
He adds that 5G will make transformative IoT a reality. “Ericsson is making 5G happen right now,
“Evolved mobile broadband will be the first 5G business case, so service providers can cope with data traffic doubling every 18 months. But 5G will also bring new capabilities in low latency and long battery life. This is especially important for IoT, the focus of this centre.”
Ekholm told the assembled guests that Ericsson predicts 20 billion IoT-related connected devices globally by 2023.
“With so many connected devices, we believe that relying on Wi-Fi won’t deliver the reliability needed. Licensed spectrum is therefore critical,” he says. “In this centre, Ericsson and MTS experts are collaborating on 5G-enabled ecosystems, prototypes, and business cases.”
Cities will be one of the development focuses at the center, including the areas of ecology, utility optimization, infrastructure, environmental monitoring, and transport.
Ekholm says the center would benefit from Ericsson technology leadership including the IoT Accelerator Marketplace and enhanced 5G Platform – which will allow service providers to launch 5G from the fourth quarter of 2018.
“Many of the faces you see here today will change how we work, live and socialize,” he says. “They will also be part of Ericsson’s global IoT and 5G R&D ecosystem, which includes collaborating with service provider partners, industrial partners, and universities. It’s great to see students of Innopolis University present today. What an exciting time to start in our industry.”