Ericsson Regional Connect | Issue 5 – Spring/Summer 2022

Issue 5 | Spring/Summer 2022

Featured articles

How Massive MIMO will help you meet 5G network requirements Choosing the right technology to close the digital divide Setting the pace to drive 5G consumer business growth

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Table of contents

Do you have a success story you’d like to share? Has your enterprise had an impact in your community?

Contact your Ericsson account representative to be featured in the next issue of “Regional Connect Magazine.”

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Welcome to Regional Connect

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Connect

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Meet the expert: Eric Boudriau

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Ericsson at Mobile World Congress 2022: Inviting our visitors to “Imagine Possible”

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Making a difference in rural communities for nearly 30 years

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Share

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How Massive MIMO will help you meet 5G network requirements today and in the future

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Choosing the right technology to close the digital divide

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Setting the pace to drive 5G consumer business growth

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Ask the experts

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Serve

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Supporting a brighter future for underserved students in Texas

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Why Ericsson?

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Customers and partners, Welcome to the spring 2022 issue of Ericsson’s “Regional Connect Magazine.” I’m thrilled to be addressing you as the new Vice President and Head of Customer Unit Regional Carriers.

In my 25-plus years in the information and communications technology industry, working across Europe and the Americas, my goal has remained the same: Enable service providers to thrive in the digital economy by helping them transform their networks and IT environments to reach new levels of programmability, efficiency and agility.

I love my work because telecom has the power to connect people and places. And that’s exactly what the Regional Connect program was created for—the power of community and the role our regional carriers play in creating connections, sharing knowledge and giving back. I’m committed to ensuring your voices are heard so that Ericsson understands how best to serve you.

I’m looking forward to working with all of you. I hope you enjoy this issue of “Regional Connect Magazine,” which includes these highlights: Connect Meet our partners at Viaero Wireless in the company spotlight, and learn a bit more about me by watching my meet the expert video.

Share Learn how to use Massive MIMO to meet the 5G network requirements of today and the future. We also reveal results from our new Ericsson ConsumerLab report, which identifies the four stages of 5G maturity and the six strategies service providers have used to become 5G Pacesetters.

Serve We shine a spotlight on our partnership with the Melville Family Foundation. Based in Dallas, Texas, this organization exists to improve the lives of local children by supporting their economic stability, food security and academic excellence.

I appreciate your partnership and continued business.

Eric Boudriau Vice President and Head of Customer Unit Regional Carriers, Ericsson

Ericsson’s purpose and vision imagine the possibilities of limitless connectivity The future is looking better and brighter than ever, and our purpose and vision reflect the emerging opportunities we’re poised to take on.

Check out this video to see how we’re continuing to make the unimaginable possible with support from our valued partners.

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Connect

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Meet the expert In this issue of “Regional Connect Magazine,” we sat down with Ericsson’s new Vice President and Head of Customer Unit Regional Carriers Eric Boudriau. A native of Canada, Eric began his career in telecom 25 years ago and has held a range of leadership roles with Ericsson across four countries during that time.

To learn more about Eric, including his passion for competitive sports and martial arts, watch the video.

Q: Why do you love what you do?

A:

I get to work in an industry that’s fascinating and has incredible customers. And if we think of the pandemic, where would we be without telecom? Telecom connects people and places together, and I think that’s so important in life and gives us a purpose. And I don’t think there’s a better place to serve that purpose than with the regional carriers. I think together, we can further help bridge the digital divide we have still in America.

Q: What are some of the biggest opportunities you see right now for our regional carrier customers?

A: Our customers are so diverse; their communities and the services they offer are very different. But there are trends in the industry—fixed wireless access, for example—that clearly offer an economical way of offering broadband services to the masses that is an alternate to fiber.

I’ve also had the chance in Europe to help many operators serve their enterprise customers with private networks. I think these two areas are certainly quite exciting, and I look forward to having these discussions with our customers.

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Mobile World Congress 2022 February 28 - March 3 | Barcelona

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Ericsson at MWC 2022: Inviting our visitors to “Imagine Possible” Mobile World Congress (MWC) is the largest and most influential information and communications technology event on the global calendar.

Against the difficult background of the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, the power of mobile connectivity to unite us and shape our future was more evident than ever.

In his welcome video, Ericsson President and CEO Borje Ekholm set the stage for the event and described the company’s new vision for the future of mobile technology: “A world where limitless connectivity improves lives, redefines businesses and pioneers a sustainable future… Connectivity as a force for good.”

Throughout the four-day event, Ericsson welcomed more than 1,500 customers— many of them top executives at their organizations. As a first, we also produced real-time broadcasts from the event to reach customers who could not travel this year.

Ericsson’s pavilion featured 26 compelling demos and proof points covering consumer and enterprise solutions such as radio access, dedicated networks, fixed wireless access, managed services and more.

Featured demos

Ericsson Radio System (ERS) hardware

Ericsson Private 5G

Ericsson’s vast portfolio of radio access products was on display to demonstrate how we are addressing communication service providers’ (CSPs) ever-increasing need for high-capacity solutions that offer superior footprint reduction and greater energy efficiency.

Our new radio product portfolio includes single-band, dual-band and triple-band radios and solutions designed to meet a variety of build requirements.

Visitors were able to explore our new prepackaged plug-and-play connectivity product, which provides a secure and reliable 4G or 5G dedicated network for defined coverage areas, indoor and outdoor, with specific focus on enterprises across verticals.

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Stepping into the future, now This year, visitors to the exhibition hall were surprised with a 10-minute, multi-room, fully immersive walk-through area called the Imagine Possible Experience. This unique addition showcased the many ways in which Ericsson is working on next-generation networks to bring our vision to life.

Featured demos

Fixed Wireless Access

Ericsson Operations Engine

5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) brings new opportunities for monetization and upsell, based on performance guarantees and service-level agreements. Here we showcased how our partnerships with customer premises equipment (CPE) vendors complement our own radio solution, helping CSPs address the FWA opportunity.

The Ericsson Operations Engine is a managed services offering that equips service providers with a new AI-based delivery engine and operating model. Visitors had the opportunity to see how this enables the handling of network complexity, optimizes costs and unlocks new revenues, all with enhanced levels of security and reliability.

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Making a difference in rural communities for nearly 30 years Viaero Wireless operates with the caring heart of a small-town neighbor and the sophistication of the industry’s largest competitors. With strong community values and a legacy of giving back, Viaero believes in delivering the best possible products and services at the best possible price to the rural communities it serves. We spoke to Frank DiRico, CEO of Viaero, to learn more.

Q: When did your business begin?

A:

I bought our first building in April 1995.

We’ve now grown to become one of the largest rural carriers in America, serving approximately 150,000 subscribers across Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming, and South Dakota.

Q: What’s your origin story?

A:

When cellular technology made my push-to-talk business pretty much obsolete, I began building cell towers for Motorola in the Boston area. After I built about six towers, I thought to myself, “I’ve got to get into this business” because I really liked it. In those days, you entered a lottery to be assigned a market. My father and I entered and were awarded Morgan County, Colorado. So, we moved to Fort Morgan and bought a Motorola 100 plus switch, which was good for about 1,000 subscribers. Everyone figured that was all we would ever need.

Well, we quickly filled that switch up. We put in an expansion bay and quickly filled that up, too. I bought the property behind us and put up a building and another Motorola 2,500 switch. Fast forward to today, and due to the government’s Secure and Trusted program, we’ve been given the opportunity to work with Ericsson to upgrade the entire network to more secure equipment that will enable us to use 5G.

Q: What are your company’s core values? How do they help you serve your community?

A:

We believe small communities deserve the same dependable cellular and internet services that city dwellers enjoy. We’re proud to be a rural company serving rural communities­— the ones the big guys previously overlooked as service priorities. And it’s not just about getting our customers cell service; it’s about helping them in their times of need. For example, in March 2007, a tornado blew through the small town of Holly, Colorado, and wiped everything out. We immediately went down and put up a cell site on wheels (COW) to get them quickly connected as they rebuilt the town.

Holly built a new school to withstand a tornado, which meant there was no cellular coverage inside. So we installed a cell site inside­—problem solved.

Another time, there was an ice storm in Nebraska, and all the phone lines went down. We immediately sent a cache of phones to the first responders so they could communicate effectively. We’re always available to help our communities when needed.

The telecom industry typically focuses on service, coverage and affordability. We added a fourth pillar to that, which is local presence. We do everything in-house­—billing/ accounting, marketing/sales, customer

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In one case, we have a tower on top of a mountain in Sangre in southcentral Colorado. The tower is so remote, we had to buy a snowcat to get up to it in the wintertime. When the Spring Creek Fire broke out in 2018 and ultimately burned 108,000 acres, we gave the firefighters access to use several of our tower cameras so they could see where the fire was burning and strategically focus their rescue efforts. Many residents called me personally, asking to see if their houses were still there. What first started out as a way for our customers to view the weather has turned out to save lives.

I am proud to be in a position where I can help our communities.

care, construction, the backhaul network—you name it. Everything is done right here. We have more than 40 retail locations throughout our network, and we take great pride in our work. We live in these small communities, where everyone knows who works at Viaero. So, when you go out in public, you better have a very put-together product, or people are going to tell you about it.

Our philosophy all along has been simply to bring cellular/broadband telecommunication services to our communities at an affordable price.

Our cellular and internet plans are the best in the country in terms of the amount of data and the speed you get for the price you pay. There’s a lot of capacity in the network, and we’re not stingy about it. We have always said, “Open it up, let everyone have full speed.” Those are the kinds of things that we do to be a good neighbor.

Q: What’s something unique about your company that most people probably don’t know?

A:

We have about 90 high-quality cameras installed on a lot of our towers and publish the feeds to our website.

From educators to first responders, people like to check out the current weather conditions. The local news media uses our camera feed every day, and in times of natural disasters, we’re featured on the national news and cable networks. The cameras have also proven to be very useful during emergencies.

Q: How did your company’s partnership with Ericsson begin?

A:

At the 2019 Competitive Carriers Association Annual Convention in Rhode Island, representatives from Ericsson invited several of our team members to attend their user group conference. It was a great experience, and our initial meeting evolved into a strong relationship, where we found our philosophies align.

We chose to partner with Ericsson because their technology was superior to the competition. We believe they have the most reliable technology, and we want to be affiliated with the best company for our 5G deployment.

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Q: What are you most excited about with 5G? A:

Our 5G deployment will position us perfectly for the future as the demands for more data, faster speeds, low latency and greater capacity continue to grow. It wasn’t that long ago when the average person just used their phone for texting and a few phone calls. Today, our cellular and internet data usage grows exponentially each year. Consumers may stream entertainment, use their computers for work or school and watch TV all at once. Viaero wants to make sure our subscribers’ connections work seamlessly and without interruption.

Q: What does the future look like for Viaero?

A:

We have a clear path to a 5G standalone network due to Ericsson’s superior technology. Our customers deserve a network that rivals the tierone carriers. And we’re focused on providing them with the technology that will grow their businesses, educate their children and bring entertainment into their homes. We’re working with Ericsson as we upgrade our backhaul network from microwave to fiber.

We may seem smaller than the other carriers, but we’ve always had the tools to stay nimble and competitive in the industry. Viaero owns almost all of our 1,000 tower sites, and we’re running fiber to most of them, giving us a strong regional presence in the tower and fiber space.

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Share

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How Massive MIMO will help you meet 5G network requirements today and in the future New use cases for 5G networks require considerably better user experiences, in terms of higher speeds and lower latency, with substantially higher network capacity.

As a service provider, you can evolve your mobile network with Massive MIMO to meet these requirements easily, in a cost-effective and energy-efficient way.

Massive MIMO provides the means for improved coverage, capacity and user throughput of mobile networks by exploiting the spatial domain. This is achieved by using multi-antenna technologies such as beamforming, null forming and spatial multiplexing (MIMO), which take advantage of specific channel and antenna array properties.

higher 5G frequency bands, which enables the same coverage on the new 5G bands as your existing 4G bands using the existing site grid. Massive MIMO offers higher capacity and a better user experience than a conventional solution using remote radio units (RRU) and passive antennas. With Massive MIMO you are better equipped to handle the future traffic growth.

The most important capability of Massive MIMO is to improve coverage on new and

Get the new Ericsson Massive MIMO handbook to learn more about: • How Massive MIMO is used to enhance coverage, capacity and user throughput • The scenarios where Massive MIMO can improve the total cost of ownership • How to expand the volume of the capacity box and take advantage of spatial flexibility • How to select a radio solution that best covers your network needs • How you as a service provider can decide when to use Massive MIMO and when to use a conventional solution Download the handbook

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Choosing the right technology to close the digital divide

by Peter Linder Head of 5G Marketing, Ericsson North America

The digital divide has never been so apparent as during the COVID-19 pandemic. Workers transitioned to work from home, students were forced to learn from home and patients and caregivers turned to telemedicine. Digital access to information and services often determined success or failure. Large, unsatisfied demands in underserved rural and urban areas were exposed, particularly among minorities.

If access to broadband technology was once nice to have, it’s now clear that broadband technology is essential if all members of our society are to have equal access to opportunity. Government, business and community stakeholders agree that we must act to close the broadband gaps soon. We have some good options for expanding coverage

to underserved areas: fiber, 5G and low Earth orbit satellites. All three technologies offer attractive paths to closing the digital divide. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages in terms of performance, deployment times and coverage in remote areas. But what’s the best approach to get it done—in this decade?

Three new technologies for three different purposes

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Fiber: Great performance, slow to the finish line There’s no doubt that fiber delivers both speed and bandwidth. But building out fiber networks is a slow and expensive process.

Fiber deployments in the U.S. have so far yielded modest results. Only 16.4 percent of all fixed broadband lines in the U.S. are fiber-based today. For comparison, consider that South Korea achieved 83.9 percent by 2020. Business fares better: In 2020, almost 70 percent of larger U.S. business buildings were served by fiber, though only 14.1 percent of small U.S. business buildings were. At the current growth of 1.5 to 2 percent, U.S. households and small business buildings are multiple decades away from closing the digital divide with fiber.

Satellite service: Universal coverage, but limited capacity Low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems are attracting a large increase in investments tailored for different continents. Four providers serving the U.S. have obtained FCC licenses for broadband services: SpaceX Starlink, Amazon’s Project Kuiper, OneWeb and Telesat. Satellite services are best suited to provide mobile and fixed broadband in remote areas where fixed and mobile broadband infrastructure is costly to build. The competition between multiple satellite providers using incompatible technologies is a disadvantage. The lack of terminal interoperability across service providers limits the potential to reach economies of scale.

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5G: The best of both worlds?

5G deployments in the U.S. have progressed rapidly. 5G now covers more than 90 percent of mobile services in lowband spectrum and reaches 165 million people on existing mid-band spectrum.

The long-reach version of 5G mmWave has been proven for fixed wireless access, delivering 1Gbps of sustained downlink speed. With its combination of low-, mid-band and mmWave, 5G is the only technology that can be used to close both the mobile and fixed digital divides with the same infrastructure. 5G will also allow multiple service providers to compete in a geographical area for mobile services, and for fixed wireless access to compete with DSL and cable alternatives. Fixed 5G wireless access will make closing the divide for residential access as well as for small business buildings possible sooner rather than later.

Only 16.4 percent of all fixed broadband lines in the U.S. are fiber-based today, where South Korea achieved 83.9 percent by 2020.

16.4%

Making digital equality a reality this decade In this report, we explore the complex, multifaceted challenge of closing the digital divide in America, the technologies available and potential routes for achieving the goal of broadband for everyone by 2030.

Download the full report

Watch the video to hear Peter share his perspective on these exciting 5G opportunities.

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Setting the pace to drive 5G consumer business growth In our new Ericsson ConsumerLab report—the first industry study of its kind—we looked at 73 service providers in 22 markets across the world, analyzing their market performance and consumer perception to form a 5G Maturity Index. Using the data collected, we identified four stages of 5G maturity and highlighted the six strategies they have used to get to this position.

Until now, analysts have predominantly been focused on measuring service providers’ progress with 5G in terms of coverage rollout and deployment or network speeds. However, this approach does not provide the full picture when it comes to 5G leadership. It’s also important to analyze how efforts to offer a great 5G network experience can improve consumer satisfaction and perception toward service providers and their 5G offerings, and in turn, identify who is setting the pace on 5G performance and innovation. Ericsson ConsumerLab has previously identified that 5G service providers take either a proactive or passive approach.1 Taking a proactive approach, for example, by exploring new pricing models or even curating new services in-house, offers the best opportunities for service providers to reverse or arrest the decline in consumer revenues. In contrast, a passive approach risks missing out on a growth opportunity of up to 2.7 percent CAGR by 2030. This study builds upon these insights by not only identifying proactive service providers but also by measuring their progress in 5G based on two aspects: consumer perception and service providers’ own efforts.

1 “Harnessing the 5G consumer potential.” Ericsson ConsumerLab. m.eric.sn/2RAA50IB2nG

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The six strategies for 5G success in consumer markets

Key findings from the study • There are four stages of 5G maturity among service providers: 1. 5G Explorers, who have only recently started to explore the 5G market, often with limited spectrum holdings or allocations 2. 5G Potentials, who are benefitting from better 4G performance and have therefore been slow to build their 5G business foundations 3. 5G Aspirationals, who are market challengers but score lower on consumer perception of 5G market leadership 4. 5G Pacesetters, who are leading on 5G coverage and performance but have room to improve even further • About one out of five service providers included in the study were identified as 5G Pacesetters.

• 5G Pacesetters are seen as 5G leaders by 70 percent of their own customers and are three times more likely to retain their customers while successfully driving demand for 5G due to better marketing.

• 5G Pacesetters are nearly twice as likely to grow their ARPU and mobile services revenues by at least 1 percent year-on-year compared to other service providers.

• Three-quarters of 5G Pacesetters effectively monetize 5G based on tiers of speed, quality of service, fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) or bundled content.

• 5G Pacesetters commonly follow six strategies to succeed in the 5G consumer market: 1. Achieve cost efficiency and scale with 5G 2. Deliver best smartphone experience with excellent 5G coverage and performance 3. Extend fixed mobile and convergence plans with 5G 4. Use 5G to complement and expand fixed broadband footprint 5. Reimagine pricing strategy with premium value tiers 6. Lead with innovative and immersive 5G services

Download the full report to learn how a proactive approach and a focus on bundling relevant use cases and tariff innovation enable service providers to drive 5G consumer adoption and differentiation, leading to astonishing revenue gains.

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Ask the experts In this “Ask the experts” discussion, Bill Chotiner, Chief Technology Officer for Customer Unit Regional Carriers; Surya Bommakanti, Chief Information Officer for Customer Unit Regional Carriers; and Gagan Shori, Security Director (Customer Unit Regional Carriers), Group Function Technology, answer questions about opportunities in private networks and the Log4j security vulnerability.

Want to ask our experts to shed light on a certain topic?

Submit your questions by contacting your Ericsson account representative.

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Bill Chotiner Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for Customer Unit Regional Carriers, Ericsson

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Surya Bommakanti Chief Information Officer for Customer Unit Regional Carriers, Ericsson

Q: What opportunities do 5G and LTE private networks offer for regional carriers, and how can Ericsson help?

Chotiner: First, I think it’s helpful to clarify what we mean when we say, “private network,” as this term tends to be used to refer to many different things throughout the industry. While there isn’t really one universally agreed-upon definition, Ericsson defines a private network as one that is owned and operated by an enterprise or for an enterprise and is dedicated to their internal organizational use or a specific business purpose.

Bommakanti: Another thing to note is that private networks represent a range of options and models. They can leverage spectrum that is operator-owned, organization-owned or shared spectrum. Network infrastructure can similarly be operator infrastructure or owned by the enterprise. Operations can also be the responsibility of the enterprise, the operator or a managed services organization. Given these options, the flexible nature of private networks means regional carriers can leverage the skills, resources and tools they already have in place to better monetize their investments and provide next-level service.

Chotiner: As we know, industries like manufacturing, ports, mining, education, healthcare and energy are going through change driven by digitalization. This change will require a modern communication backbone to support the adoption, use and scaling of new and emerging, data-driven technologies. We want our regional carriers to realize that their ability to offer private networks to clients in these industries can open a world of new opportunities, as many of these companies need 5G technology to digitize effectively.

Once they have the building blocks, they can expand on that connectivity platform with several use cases for both indoor and outdoor environments. As a result, they can improve productivity and create more value for their customers—all while using a solution that is secure and more environmentally friendly.

Bommakanti: And the timing to deploy private networks has never been better. We recently launched a pre-integrated packaged offering called Ericsson Private 5G (EP5G).

It’s available in a range of sizes and configurations and makes it simpler, quicker and more economical for regional carriers to deploy any private network use case they want to explore. We can also help with short- or long-term operational management. The possibilities are nearly endless.

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Gagan Shori Security Director (Customer Unit Regional Carriers), Group Function Technology, Ericsson

Q: What is the Log4j security vulnerability, and what should regional carriers do about it?

Shori: On December 10, 2021, information on a critical severity vulnerability CVE2021-44228 in a software component called Log4j­—a Java-based framework— was released with a vulnerability score of 10.0 (critical) per the CVSS rating methodology. Log4j is incorporated into a host of popular open-source frameworks, including Apache Struts 2, Apache Solr, Apache Druid and Apache Flink. That means a dizzying number of third-party apps may also be vulnerable to exploits.

This vulnerability allows attackers to exploit and execute malicious code to achieve full control of the system, which can be done remotely, without authentication.

As Ericsson has been utilizing opensource software libraries for several years, the Ericsson portfolio is not immune to the Log4j vulnerability. Several products leveraging open-source software have been identified as being susceptible to this security exploit. Learn more at ericsson.com.

All customers affected with Ericsson products and services have been alerted through a critical Enterprise Vulnerability Management System alert (via GOLS/ Salesforce). Ericsson’s development teams have verified the relevant workarounds, fixes and upgrades; and customer network support and system integration teams are rolling them out. Queries or concerns can be directed to your service delivery manager or account team. Alternatively, feel free to contact me directly at Gagan.Shori@ericsson.com.

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Serve

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Supporting a brighter future for underserved students in North Texas Founded by Randolph Melville and Rev. Dr. Lael C. Melville, the Melville Family Foundation (MFF) exists to improve the lives of underserved brown and black children in the North Texas area by contributing to their economic stability, food security and academic excellence. The foundation’s academic excellence initiative is supported by its partnership with Uplift Education, a Texas-based network of high-performing, tuition-free public charter schools.

Ericsson became involved with MFF in fall 2020 as part of a larger philanthropic initiative powered by the Ericsson AfricanAmerican Alliance employee resource group (ERG). Realizing the impact upgraded technology would have on the Uplift students’ education, the company donated funds for 1,000 new Chromebook laptops in 2020 and donated an additional 540 devices to students in 2021.

“These devices help bridge the digital divide these students experience,” said Sarah Rosales, Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Ericsson North America. “With the pivot to virtual learning, most of these students didn’t have access to a dedicated, reliable device in their homes.”

Ericsson’s partnership with MFF extends far beyond the school walls and isn’t just about donating dollars and devices. Two newer initiatives that Ericsson is proud of are the Ericsson African-American Alliance ERG Scholarships and the Ericsson High School Summer Springboard program.

The Ericsson African-American Alliance ERG Scholarship fund was established in 2021 to support the college careers of underserved scholars from the Uplift Charter School system who plan to pursue a degree in a STEM field. Each scholarship awards $20,000, paid out as $5,000 per year over the course of the four-year college journey. To be selected, recipients must meet certain criteria such as maintaining a high GPA, continuing enrollment in a STEM curriculum, and staying engaged with the Uplift Alumni team.

The Ericsson High School Summer Springboard Program was designed to help prepare high school students from

the Uplift Charter School system and Girl Scouts of America for college. The program focuses not only on Ericsson, our industry and relevant STEM topics, but also many other areas of personal and professional significance to help these rising juniors and seniors take the next step in their education journey. This is our inaugural year, and we will have 28 scholars participating in the summer 2022 cohort.

Even during the pandemic, Ericsson employees volunteered nearly 1,000 hours in 2021 supporting our partnership with MFF through programs, including the following: • A middle school virtual mentoring program • A Summer Robotics program where scholars build and program robots

• Ongoing support financially and with volunteer hours to fight food insecurities in the community through bimonthly food distributions • Sponsorship of the MFF annual Thanksgiving holiday food distribution in collaboration with The Chocolate Mint Foundation • A virtual toy drive that raised more than $2,500, which was matched by the MFF board Uplift Scholars Announced Congratulations to Dennis Tyson and Ismael Jasso, recipients of the inaugural Ericsson AfricanAmerican Alliance ERG Scholarships!

• An Ericsson Career Day event • Sponsorship of Uplift robotics team competitions

To learn more about MFF visit melvillefamilyfoundation.com.

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Why Ericsson?

Regional focus, global expertise

A leading provider of information and communication technology (ICT) to service providers, Ericsson enables the full value of connectivity by creating game-changing technology and services that are easy to use, adopt and scale—making customers successful in a fully connected world.

140+ years

Global Headquarters: Stockholm, Sweden

of enabling communication

27,739 R&D employees1

101,322

180+

employees

Operates in 180+ countries

120+ live 5G networks

60,000 patents

1

As of 4/1/2022

2

As of 4/1/2022

globally2

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North American Headquarters: Plano, Texas

5 live 5G networks

30+ U.S. locations

in the U.S.3

70+ regional carrier customers

$100M 5G smart factory investment in Lewisville, TX

7,500 U.S. employees 3

As of 8/1/2021

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About Ericsson Regional Connect

Regional carriers are unique enterprises. They are an integral part of the communities they serve as much as they are businesses seeking growth and sustainability.

The Ericsson Regional Connect program was born out of Ericsson’s recognition that regional carriers across the U.S. are united by these common values—and by common challenges: Values we share and challenges our global solutions are perfectly suited to meet.

With an array of live and virtual events, online forums and tools, Ericsson Regional Connect comprises a unique community that brings regional carriers together in an unprecedented way:

Share—Regional carriers will have access to Ericsson’s global technological leadership and expertise. And they will have a forum for sharing knowledge, ideas and best practices with one another.

Connect—Ericsson Regional Connect facilitates a wide range of opportunities for professionals in the industry to meet and partner with their peers.

Serve—Apply what you gain from Ericsson Regional Connect to better serve your customers, connect the unconnected and give back to your communities.

We invite you to explore what Ericsson Regional Connect can do for you— and what you can do for others. Visit the Regional Connect website.

About Ericsson

Ericsson enables communications service providers to capture the full value of connectivity. The company’s portfolio spans Networks, Digital Services, Managed Services and Emerging Business and is designed to help our customers go digital, increase efficiency and find new revenue streams. Ericsson’s investments in innovation have delivered the benefits of telephony and mobile broadband to billions of people around the world.

The Ericsson stock is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and on Nasdaq New York.

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The content of this document is subject to revision without notice due to continued progress in methodology, design and manufacturing. Ericsson shall have no liability for any error or damage of any kind resulting from the use of this document. © Ericsson 2022