Bell Canada selects Ericsson as 5G network equipment supplier

MONTRÉAL, June 2, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - Bell Canada today announced that Ericsson will provide radio access network (RAN) equipment for Bell's national 5G wireless network, including for the unique Wireless Home Internet service Bell has developed to bring high-speed Internet access to rural Canada. An existing supplier of 4G LTE wireless and other technology to Bell, Ericsson has to date signed 92 commercial 5G agreements with telecom providers worldwide and is the first company to enable commercial 5G networks on 4 continents.

"Bell's 5G strategy supports our goal to advance how Canadians connect with each other and the world, and Ericsson's innovative 5G network products and experience on the global stage will be key to our rollout of this game-changing mobile technology across Canada," said Mirko Bibic, President and CEO of BCE Inc. and Bell Canada. "Investment and scale in leading-edge networks is critical to national competitiveness, economic growth and resiliency, highlighted by the important role that Bell's wireless, fibre and broadcast networks have played in Canada's response to COVID-19. With the support of Ericsson and our other 5G partners, Bell looks forward to ensuring Canada remains at the forefront of the next generation of mobile communications."

Niklas Heuveldop, President and Head of Ericsson North America, said: "We are proud to have earned Bell's trust to be selected as one of their key partners and significantly expand our existing relationship to accelerate the transformation of their network with 5G mobile and fixed wireless technology. With our industry-leading 5G product portfolio, Bell will be able to provide Canadian consumers, enterprises and the public sector with innovative experiences and services whether they're on the move or at home, regardless if they're in urban or rural areas."

Bell 5G: Building on wireless leadership
While Bell has focused fully on ensuring Canadians would remain connected and informed throughout the COVID-19 crisis, the company is poised to launch initial 5G as the economy opens up.

As with previous wireless and wireline network deployments, Bell is working with multiple equipment suppliers for its 5G rollout. This multi-vendor strategy has been key to delivering Canada's best national mobile network with Bell 4G LTE, now available in every province and territory to more than 99% of the national population. Independent studies have found that Canadian 4G LTE networks like Bell's rank with the fastest in the world – and even rival data speeds offered by initial 5G networks already available in countries like South Korea. 

Bell's initial 5G service will offer faster top-end data speeds than LTE at launch, and capable smartphones are already available from Bell including the Samsung Galaxy S20 5G series, LG V60 ThinQ 5G Dual Screen and Motorola Edge+. Bell 5G will continue to grow in speed, capacity and coverage as additional 5G wireless spectrum becomes available, including in the federal government's 3.5 GHz spectrum auction later this year. Ericsson will also support Bell's rollout of 5G-enhanced Wireless Home Internet service to more small towns and rural locations in future. 

"Ericsson plays an important role in enabling Bell's award-winning LTE network and we're pleased to grow our partnership into 5G mobile and fixed wireless technology," said Stephen Howe, Bell's Chief Technology Officer. "5G's high-capacity and near-instant connections will enable next-generation applications like mobile 4K video and immersive augmented reality, connected vehicles and industrial IoT automation on a massive scale, and our plan is to deliver the benefits of the 5G wireless revolution to cities and rural locations alike."