5G key to UK economic recovery, says Ericsson

The vendor is also looking to build on its UK presence 

5G will be pivotal in helping the UK economy to recover post pandemic.

That’s according to Bjorn Odenhammar, head of Ericsson’s networks and managed services pre-sales customer unit for the UK and Ireland.

His statement comes in the wake of the government’s recent decision to remove all Huawei equipment from the UK’s 5G networks by 2027.

Quick start

“As a country, the UK was quick to give out spectrum quite early and provide a good foundation for the 5G build-out,” said Odenhammar.

“It’s important for the country given the situation with the coronavirus and a quite drastic GDP drop in the first quarter, to really use the technology to help the country benefit post-coronavirus and kickstart the economy.

“There’s no ambiguity in the UK market, the spectrum is there, and the playing field is set.”

He adds that the pandemic has shown the importance of faster connectivity, which 5G can provide.

In Ericsson’s most recent Mobility Report, the vendor adjusted its 5G forecast to 2.8 billion subscriptions worldwide by 2025, up from 2.6 billion as a direct result of the pandemic.

Almost half of the world’s mobile traffic is expected to be driven by 5G at that time.

“We have not seen a negative impact from the pandemic, but rather the opposite as people have realised the importance of connectivity more than ever,” said Odenhammar.

Collaboration

Odenhammar added that Ericsson is working closely with operators to build on its UK 5G rollout.

“The UK is a significant market in Europe,” he said. “We believe that working closely with each of the operators and earning their trust is the path to success for us.

“We have a very strong position right now and are positive that we’ll be able to continue this work in the UK market.”

Ericsson has so far secured 100 commercial 5G contracts, reaching this milestone last month.