Ericsson is increasing its deployment of cloud radio access network (RAN) systems and private 5G infrastructure for telecommunications providers throughout the United States. The company states that American communications service providers are integrating artificial intelligence algorithms into their radio access networks to automate spectrum management and optimize traffic.
Major carriers are actively implementing these technologies. T-Mobile has begun commercial field trials of an AI-native scheduler. AT&T has deployed AI-native software onto its Cloud RAN architecture to update its hardware. Verizon Business is expanding private 5G network installations for enterprise clients.
Hardware supporting these deployments is produced at the Ericsson USA 5G Smart Factory in Lewisville, Texas. The facility spans 300,000 square feet and manufactures massive-MIMO arrays and RAN compute hardware. Production volume at the plant has increased eightfold since operations began in March 2020. The workforce has grown to more than 550 employees, a tripling of the initial staff.
Research and development for programmable networks are centered at the D15 Innovation Hub in Santa Clara, California. Teams there collaborate with Silicon Valley partners to test AI-driven automation protocols and network slicing architectures. Ericsson Enterprise Wireless Solutions and Vonage provide open APIs to help developers integrate cellular capabilities into proprietary software.
Börje Ekholm, president and CEO of Ericsson, described the United States as a core market and the most important innovation hub for the company. He noted that the world’s first pre-standard 6G session occurred in the country and that Ericsson intends to support America’s industrial leadership through connectivity.
Engineers at the company’s Americas headquarters in Plano, Texas, executed that first pre-standard 6G over-the-air session. Ericsson employs more than 6,200 staff members across more than 30 locations in all 50 states.
