Ericsson and SoftBank Corp. Forge Strategic Partnership to Drive Innovation in AI, Cloud, XR, and 6G Technologies Towards 2030
STOCKHOLM - Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) and SoftBank Corp. (“SoftBank”) have entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a strategic partnership towards 2030. This collaboration focuses on evaluating, promoting, and co-creating 'NextWave Tech', which encompasses advancing technologies to the next stage, including AI, Cloud RAN (Radio Access Network), XR (Extended Reality), and 6G. The partnership seeks to explore new use cases and drive technological advancements that will shape the future of cellular networks and its architectures, a press release stated by Ericsson.
As the industry presents exciting opportunities with NextWave Tech, Ericsson and SoftBank are committed to actively investing in bringing these technologies to life. These efforts promise future growth and cost-efficiency, helping the whole industry seize new opportunities. To achieve this, both companies will jointly work on blueprinting the roadmaps toward future networks, ensuring that all collaborative efforts align with their long-term vision and pave the way for industry leadership.
Ericsson and SoftBank will further deepen and broaden their collaboration in the development of technologies and businesses across the following key areas, including but not limited to:
• Evaluating commercial readiness for Cloud RAN deployment with SMO / rApps, including integration of AI technology
• Establishing efficient and effective network design strategies for emerging use cases such as XR
• Exploring new ways of using radio wave by integrating sensing and communication
• Promoting the effective use of centimeter Wave technologies to position Japan as a leader in 6G
Jawad Manssour, President and Representative Director, Ericsson Japan says: "This new collaboration with SoftBank marks a significant step forward in realizing the full potential of AI-powered connectivity technologies. By combining our expertise in RAN and AI, we are poised to drive innovation and shape SoftBank’s future of mobile networks, empowering their technology leadership through 2030."
Hideyuki Tsukuda, Executive Vice President and CTO at SoftBank Corp., says:"Our new partnership with Ericsson allows us to explore cutting-edge solutions that will redefine network capabilities and customer experience. Our joint efforts in areas such as 6G and AI will not only enhance the performance of our network, but also pave the way for new business opportunities and technological breakthroughs."
Through this initiative, Ericsson and SoftBank are committed to addressing the diverse and evolving needs of consumers and enterprises for high-performing, secure and reliable connectivity. By leveraging AI and cloud-based networks, they aim to drive significant advances in connectivity that will play a critical role in the digital transformation of society.
