By Godson Umejiego, Correspondent US
Customers continue to need higher throughputs and lower latency and to meet those needs, U.S. Cellular has chosen Ericsson to provide 24, 28 and 39 GHz millimeter wave (mmWave) equipment and services to support consumer and enterprise 5G use cases. In addition, Ericsson will provide 4G Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) equipment and services as U.S. Cellular continues its 5G modernization programme.
This marks a further expansion of Ericsson’s collaboration with U.S. Cellular. In late 2019, the company selected Ericsson as a network equipment vendor for its 5G network, including 5G New Radio (NR) hardware and software in states such as Iowa and Wisconsin. And this year, Ericsson helped U.S. Cellular increase mobile broadband capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic in parts of Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, New Hampshire, Maine and North Carolina. The move aided U.S. Cellular in successfully managing the increased demand for data from its customers.
The high band spectrum equipment Ericsson will provide will help U.S. Cellular customers experience faster speeds than ever before. This type of 5G both enhances the mobile broadband services to phones and tablets and allows for fiber-like speeds for Fixed Wireless Access, FWA, in areas with limited high-speed broadband options.
U.S. Cellular is beginning its multi-year deployment of 5G mmWave now, with commercial availability planned for 2021.
