Ericsson Regional Connect | Issue 2 – Summer/Fall 2020

Issue 2 | Summer/Fall 2020

Featured articles

Private networks for the regional market Closing the digital divide

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Table of contents

Ericsson  |  Regional Connect Magazine

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Welcome to Regional Connect

Connect 04

Bringing the regional carrier community together for Tech Talks

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Meet the expert: Vikas Sharma

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Answering the demand for reliable internet in rural Pennsylvania

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Private networks for the regional market

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Mining industry strikes gold with mobile communications

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Closing the digital divide: Five things rural carriers can do to accelerate 5G

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Adapting to new realities: Ericsson Mobility Report

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Ask the expert

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Ericsson North America partners with Girl Scouts to inspire the next generation of STEM leaders

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Stories of impact from the Regional Connect community

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Connecting the unconnected

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Why Ericsson?

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Customers and partners, Over the last several months, we have all confronted the challenges of navigating the COVID-19 crisis, while managing its impact on our businesses and families.

Our hearts go out to anyone who’s been impacted by the virus, directly or indirectly. Our thoughts and prayers are especially with those who are sick, to whom we extend heartfelt wishes for a full recovery.

Helping our customers, partners and communities benefit from technology in times of massive transformation is a core element of who we are as a company. Helping bridge the digital divide, while fostering connectivity in rural America, has never been more important. As we help enable remote learning for students, link patients to medical professionals via telehealth and most importantly, connect families and friends, our commitment to you and your communities is steadfast.

We have also seen great examples of communities coming together to support their citizens in this time of need. These stories truly demonstrate the power of community, which remains the cornerstone of Regional Connect. I hope that you enjoy this issue of “Regional Connect Magazine.”

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.”

Welcome to Regional Connect A community of thinkers, doers, engineers, technicians, and entrepreneurs united under the mission of providing world-class technologies and service to everyone, everywhere.

Discover the power of community – watch the video.

Connect

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Serve

We introduce you to Xtreme Enterprises, our partner that is bringing reliable internet to rural Pennsylvania. You’ll also virtually meet Vikas Sharma, VP Operations, Customer Unit Regional Carriers, and learn about his passion for cricket.

We share how private networks can enable new use cases for regional carriers and propose five steps you can take to accelerate 5G in your communities.

We feature Vermont Telecom’s work to connect the unconnected in this time of crisis and spotlight how our partners are investing in their communities to make them better.

As we continue to traverse this period of change, my commitment to you is that we will do whatever we can to support your organizations, share our learnings and help those who need it most. Humanity, patience and partnership will get us through this, and we are here for you. Above all, we hope that you and your loved ones stay safe and healthy.

Robert Johnson Executive Vice President, Customer Unit Regional Carriers, Ericsson

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Connect

Bringing the regional carrier community together for Tech Talks In response to COVID-19 and the cancellation of the Mobile Carriers Show, Ericsson cancelled the in-person Regional Connect Technology Summit. To maintain our commitment to sharing and engaging with the Regional Connect community, we held a series of virtual Regional Connect Tech Talks.

Through a series of six, hour-long sessions, we focused on topics that were impacting the regional carrier market before the pandemic – and that continue to be relevant issues today. Sessions were designed to be interactive and engaging.

We’ve summarized some of the key takeaways from the most widely attended sessions. The entire series is available on demand, so you can watch each session as your schedule allows.

Industry update/ technology trend

Upgrading your network to 5G (Part 1 – Spectrum and ecosystem)

In the first session, Anand Akundi, Vice President and Head of ICT and Managed Services, and Bill Chotiner, Chief Technology Officer for the Regional Carriers Customer Unit, covered top trends driving the telecom industry today.

Standalone 5G is the end game everyone wants to achieve. Not only is it a simpler architecture, but it enables you to create new services. 2020 will be the year of the first standalone launches, and the turning point for all standalone is expected to occur in 2023.

Everyone likely heard the rumor that COVID-19 was caused by 5G. While that is definitely not the case, the virus impacted network traffic. Shelter-in-place orders reduced mobility but increased VoLTE and Wi-Fi calls. Companies across the country are focused on keeping America running, and Ericsson is working closely with operators to ensure connectivity.

Norman Alam, Director, 5G Solutions at Ericsson, discussed the technical implications of current and potential spectrum, as well as the status of the ecosystems around each spectrum band.

Global traffic doubles every year, driving the need for more spectrum. In North America, traffic is increasing exponentially and is expected to grow from 8.3 percent to 10.5 percent of global traffic between 2019 and 2025.

Spectrum is divided into three different classes: low-band, mid-band, and highband. 5G is common across all bands.

The FCC recently made a huge portion of the spectrum available for auction and deployment; twice as much unlicensed spectrum is available as licensed spectrum.

Upgrading your network to 5G (Part 2 – 5G RAN) Stefan Calmerman, Vice President Network Evolution at Ericsson, led an in-depth technical discussion around deployment of 5G RAN. The upcoming 3GPP Release 16 will focus on how 5G will be used, including Industrial IoT and ultra-reliable and low-latency communication (URLLC) enhancements. It will also cover 5G efficiency and how to handle interference, SON, location and power consumption improvements. Estimated release is summer 2020.

Ericsson maps to 3GPP. We typically have a 9- to 12-month development period before our software and hardware aligns with the release, so we expect to be ready for Release 16 in mid-2021.

With strong competition for spectrum, operators must maximize the use of their spectrum capacity.

Watch the session to learn how:

Watch the session to learn:

Watch the session to learn about:

• The evolution of NFVI supports 5G network deployment distribution

• The reasons for NR on frequency division duplexing (FDD) band

• NR FDD introduction options

• Machine learning and artificial intelligence have become more relevant for 5G and slicing

• How to use low-band to maximize mid-band and high-band coverage

• Spectrum sharing has become the norm

• The unique benefits of Ericsson spectrum sharing

• The reasons for moving to 5G standalone • Massive MIMO link budget improvements • NR RAN roadmap overview • 5G RAN deployment considerations

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Meet the expert Ericsson’s “Regional Connect Magazine” recently sat down with Vikas Sharma, Vice President of Operations, Regional Carriers Customer Unit, to learn why he became an engineer, what excites him about where the industry is headed and how he helps customers find the right solutions to address their challenges. Along with being an Ericsson veteran – he’s been with the company for more than 23 years – Vikas prides himself in being just a phone call away for our regional carrier partners. The next time you talk with him be sure to ask him about his passion for cricket.

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What do you enjoy most about working with regional carrier customers?

A: It is a combination of a few things.

What I like the most is the partnership approach, the trust, the sense of community in this regional carrier space. And from the technology and the challenge perspective, I really enjoy and appreciate the opportunity to actually offer and service the entire spectrum of Ericsson products and solutions for the various business needs that we have in our regional carrier space.

Q: What do you see as the most important thing you can do to help our customers?

A:

From my perspective, engaging early, participating in the planning phases, being able to identify the right solutions for customers’ needs and challenges.

Those are the most important things that we can do as a company, and specifically, that I can do in my role.

To hear Vikas tell his story, watch this video.

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Answering the demand for reliable internet in rural Pennsylvania Together, Indigo Wireless and Xtreme Enterprises bring a 30-year history of caring for their customers.

While Xtreme Enterprises is on the cutting edge of technology, they’ve also managed to stay true to their original vision of treating their employees like family, listening to the people in the communities they serve and helping rural customers enjoy the same technology as their urban counterparts. “Regional Connect Magazine” caught up with Dave Tews, the president of Xtreme Enterprises, to learn more about their efforts.

Q: What are some ways you and Ericsson are making a difference?

A: Xtreme, along with Ericsson, is at the center of solving the issue of bringing broadband to rural America. We’ve been working to help distribute Ericsson products to many smaller wireless internet service providers (WISPs) that have struggled for years with a variety of different vendors that have fallen short on their promises.

WISPs in general, but specifically those that we engage with, are on the front lines of the fight to bring highspeed broadband to the most remote parts of America. They spend every day trying to solve the same problem that our industry is trying to solve: providing a higher quality, reliable internet service to the unserved and underserved customers in our service areas. Through our partnership with Ericsson, we’re providing these WISPs access to that channel and giving them

an opportunity to deploy Ericsson products in their markets.

We know through experience that those products will grant them much greater longevity and far better reliability in their network; something they haven’t had in the past. All that adds up to one thing: improved total cost of ownership. When we demonstrate the true total cost of ownership when deploying Ericsson equipment, our customers can easily calculate how that value translates into their bottom line.

We’ve worked closely with the Ericsson team and WISPs around the country. We have new customers coming to us every week looking for more information and trying to find out how they can put Ericsson into their networks. Currently, we have many trials in progress around the country with WISPs that are deploying their first Ericsson products. We look forward to deploying many more Ericsson products through our partnership.

Q: Take us back to how Xtreme Enterprises started.

A: Xtreme started in 2015. It was actually an offshoot of our original cellular business, Indigo Wireless, which we began in 1992. We’ve been a regional cellular carrier for close to 30 years. We entered into the fixed wireless business in 2014. And in 2015 we established

the new company, Xtreme Enterprises, to grow the fixed wireless aspect of our business separately from the cellular business. But we still work closely together. Many employees cross over between the two companies.

As for why we began, that was because we saw a need for fixed wireless. One of our technical staff said, “Hey, we’re putting in additional backhaul to accommodate future LTE and 5G services. We should probably use some of that for some fixed wireless as well.” I said, “Great idea.

Give me a budget.” And that’s how it started.

Q: What are the core values on which your company was built? Are they different from what Indigo was built on?

A: Well, I think they’re both the same.

Honestly, the core values have included being part of – and serving – our community. We really listen to what people in the community say. Many times, throughout our growth as Indigo and as Xtreme, we’ve followed the needs of the people. Our decisions regarding where we grow and how we grow aren’t always 100 percent financially driven. Sometimes they’re based on the needs of the community.

That is our core value – helping the community that we live in and the people who we serve. That’s what

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“We’re bringing a quality product to smaller companies and smaller communities that otherwise wouldn’t have a carrier-grade quality product such as Ericsson.“ we’re here for. And I think everybody in our company understands that. We don’t look at it as a job. We look at it as an obligation to serve the community that we’re in. We value the fact that our customers appreciate us, and we do what we can for them.

Q: Has the COVID-19 pandemic influenced your company and what are you doing for your community?

A: We’re an essential business, so we’re still out there working as hard as we can to solve the problem of ensuring all students have access to adequate internet service. We’ve been working with our local communities and school districts in Pennsylvania.

They identified a list of students who they considered to have inadequate internet. We’re doing everything we can to solve that, and we’re counting on Ericsson to help us.

Q: Tell us something about your company that most people might not know.

A: Well, I think that people who know us as Xtreme don’t necessarily know the story of Indigo behind Xtreme. And the fact that we’ve been here almost 30 years. Because of that, my average employee has been here somewhere between 15 and 20 years. I think it says a lot about our company that we provide a good place to work. Many small businesses say this, but it’s really true for us – we’re a family. And I think the people outside of Xtreme and Indigo don’t know that. For example, when we have our company holiday party, we have it in my home because we really do see our whole company as a family.

Q: How else have you partnered with Ericsson?

A: The fact that we’re working together with Ericsson as a strategic partner to serve the WISP community is something that I’m very proud of.

We’ve been able to offer Ericsson products to small wireless internet providers across the country. We’re actually bringing a quality product to smaller companies and smaller communities that otherwise wouldn’t have a carrier-grade quality product.

I’m quite proud of the fact that we’ve been able to accomplish this in conjunction with Ericsson.

Q: What are the opportunities around 5G? A: I think the opportunity is being able to serve more people with higher speeds. The need for data is endless; the demand is just insatiable. We keep providing more, and whatever we can put out there, customers will use. The opportunity to provide even better service to our customers is what makes me excited about 5G. I think that’s going to be well-received in new places. I’ve been in the industry a long time, so I’ve been through all of the Gs. I’m not nervous about moving to the next one. They are all a challenge.

There’s something new to learn every time we do it. I’m excited for it.

Q: What are the primary areas you serve and how does that compare to when you began with Indigo?

A: Indigo serves a broader area. We’re still building our fixed wireless network, but I anticipate that within the next few years, we’ll have a complete overlay between the two networks.

The area we serve is north central rural Pennsylvania. It’s a 5,000-squaremile area with a population of about 200,000 people. That’s an average of about 40 people per square mile, so it is definitely rural America. Throughout that 5,000 square miles, there are many pockets of towns with maybe 3,000 or 4,000 people in one area.

We also serve very small towns with populations of 300. It’s too expensive to take fiber and run it for miles just to hit one town on top of

a mountain. That’s where we come in. We’re able to serve those people with wireless.

Q: What types of businesses are you serving in that area?

A: There are a lot of farms. But there are also second homes and retirees.

It’s a very outdoorsy community with hunting, fishing and camping. We have neighboring larger towns such as Corning, Williamsport and Scranton. Many people will commute to work in those towns. There’s not really any single large industry in our area; healthcare and education are the two biggest areas of employment.

We have a few small colleges and hospitals; they tend to be our largest enterprise customers.

Q: What is your favorite aspect about serving this community?

A: It’s the gratefulness of our customers.

Over the past 30 years as we’ve grown our network, both cellular and internet, people really do thank us. They send us notes, call us on the phone and stop in our office just to thank us for doing what we’re doing. They’ll thank us for bringing internet to a new town.

When we’re constructing sites, we’ve had people shout to the workers on the tower, saying thank you and clapping for us. It’s very rural so we are sometimes behind many of the more metropolitan areas in terms of technology. As we roll this technology out, people are extremely grateful for the work we do and that’s a great feeling.

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Private networks for the regional market A new solution for servicing rural communities

Today, with the acceleration to digitalization and the Internet of Things (IoT), the need for connectivity is a given for public and private businesses. From factory-floor automation and the control of autonomous automobiles, to smart grid solutions and high-definition video surveillance, to patient monitoring in healthcare, practically all industry sectors are pursuing operating models that require high-performing and reliable wireless networking solutions.

For regional operators that want to support business-critical communications, private networks are the best option for meeting increasing demands for network coverage, performance, security and reliability.

What is a private network?

A private network fulfills critical capabilities to interconnect people, machines, vehicles, sensors and other devices. Its advantage lies in the use of dedicated resources, fully under the enterprise’s control. Only authorized devices/users can access network resources.

Currently, private networks are based on LTE, which delivers the best performance and speeds available today. LTE technology offers the additional advantage of ensured compatibility and readiness for 5G. 5G will enable further enhancements with higher bandwidth, both uplink and downlink, shorter latency and flexible resource allocation.

How a private network functions A private network is locally set up and uses dedicated radio equipment and assigned spectrum in a radio access network (RAN) to serve premises with wireless connectivity. In addition to mobile broadband data capabilities, voice, video, messaging and IoT features may also be included.

Because radio coverage is independent of public mobile networks provisioned by mobile network operators (MNO), a private network guarantees quality of service tailored to business and application performance needs, with dedicated network capacity.

How private networks are deployed A private network can be deployed entirely on the enterprise’s premises as a standalone system, or it can be part of an integrated system, where some functions of the private network are hosted at a central site. By utilizing existing infrastructure of an operator or non-operator such as a system integrator (SI), an integrated solution can lower CAPEX and OPEX for the enterprise. But since it’s dependent on central resources, an integrated system may have a lower degree of local survivability.

Enterprises will need spectrum Enterprises need access to the spectrum they require for their private network deployment.

Segment-specific spectrum may be allocated by the regulator directly to industries such as public safety, rail, peacekeeping and defense. Shared spectrum is sometimes available locally, for instance, by Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS).1

1 CBRS is an independent and international member-driven consortium that drives the development of cellular-based technology in the shared spectrum according to the 3GPP standards.

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The vast majority of enterprises turn to a MNO that has access to licensed spectrum and offers private network services together with Ericsson.

Why would an enterprise choose a private network?

A private network offers enterprises several advantages compared to competing technologies and applications such as mobile operator public networks or land mobile radio (LMR) network technologies.

Private networks offer:

Advantages compared to public networks For many enterprises, leveraging an existing mobile operator’s public network is sufficient to cover the basic need or connectivity and communication. However, in numerous industry situations, the services provided by public networks are not enough to cover all business requirements for mobile coverage, capacity and internal control.

For these, a private network has significant advantages:

• Standardized ecosystem: As a 3GPP technology, private networks’ LTE benefits from the interoperability, multidevice availability and multi-application capabilities provided by the standard.

• Guaranteed full coverage of an entire enterprise, both indoors and outdoors, including remote locations where public networks are not available, such as mining locations and off-shore oil rigs

• End-to-end security: The 3GPPspecified security architecture ensures end-to-end security with immunity toward illegal intrusion intents.

• Ensured capacity, with network performance service-level agreements, such as uplink and downlink bitrates and latency

• Survivability, i.e., the capacity of the network to provide continuous service in the presence of failures • Retained control over how resources are utilized since traffic is prioritized, the RAN is optimized and security is controlled to ensure that sensitive information remains secured within the premises

Advantages compared to Wi-Fi For many applications such as missioncritical communication services and ultrahigh-definition video surveillance, Wi-Fi simply is inadequate. A private network based on LTE/5G performance can ensure: • Predictable low latency required for many IoT applications that rely on time-bound communications, where delays can result in a catastrophic failure • Network capacity even under heavy system load

Use cases Low latency, high-data capacity, security, coverage, seamless mobility, survivability, interoperability, local control and optimization—the advantages of private networks enable use cases across a wide variety of industries, functions and value chain steps. Service providers can deploy private networks at diverse sites, ranging from mining and utilities to seaports and healthcare locations.

Horizontal capabilities—applicable across multiple use cases

Vertical use case examples for specific industries

Monitoring, positioning and enhanced video With their low latency and high capacity, private networks enable real-time monitoring, tracking and video surveillance as mission-critical services.

Mining The mining industry faces several connectivity challenges and complicated network needs, mostly due to operations being performed in remote areas where legacy LMR and other networks are unfeasible. A private network with high speed, low latency and robust coverage can control operations of the mine, along with workforce management and emergency response. Reliable digital voice communications, precise positioning and real-time remote control of machinery will improve efficiency and safety conditions.

Real-time automation The low latency, high reliability, ensured quality of service, high bandwidth and capacity of the private network support massive connection of devices and applications. These capacities make possible real-time automation applications such as industrial automation, distributed automation and smart grid solutions for the utility industry.

Augmented (AR) and virtual (VR) reality AR/VR applications will thrive thanks to the low latency and high bandwidth of private networks. Application examples include education and training such as real-time work task guidance, communication and collaboration, remote control and guidance as well as social sharing.

Manufacturing Many manufacturing systems are business-critical. A manufacturing plant with a private network is able to replace wired connections to machines and robots with wireless connections. Applications include autonomous smart manufacturing and remotely controlled vehicles with positioning precise to a couple of centimeters. The manufacturer will experience major gains in operational efficiency and a more independent and efficient enterprise.

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• Coverage of substantially larger areas per radio site than networks based on Wi-Fi technology • Seamless mobility and handover for reliable connectivity between transmission points during movement of devices • Security and encryption to protect integrity thanks to 3GPP standards • Superior spectrum efficiency, allowing for predictable and controllable traffic planning • Interoperability with a wide range of commercial devices conforming to the 3GPP standards, reducing the total cost of ownership and preventing lock-in to proprietary non-standard solutions • Configurable quality of service (QoS)

It’s time to offer private networks to your customers.

For regional carriers, private networks present an ideal opportunity to respond to the urgent needs of existing customers and those of potential new business.

Offering private networks can help them: • Diversify their portfolio with a lucrative and less price-sensitive enterprise portfolio. For regional carriers that have enterprise solutions like mobility, broadband, fiber connectivity, enterprise voice services, VPNs, SDNs, and others, private networks are an add-on that could be bundled with existing services to further diversify the offerings.

• Gain an additional revenue opportunity by leveraging existing enterprise relationships. Regional carriers enjoy an unrivaled depth of engagement with rural enterprise—manufacturing facilities, oil and gas operations, mining, warehouses, utilities and agricultural zones.

Regional carriers have a deep understanding of their markets and their customers and a demonstrated commitment to their needs. As a result, they are uniquely well-placed to create opportunities that make a positive impact on their communities. A private network option can spur local economic activity and enable various specialized and localized 5G use cases.

With the FCC launching such funding streams as the Rural Digital Opportunity and Rural 5G Funds, rural

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service providers are now able to offer rural broadband, build more fiber routes and get access to more spectrum. With these key assets in the private network value chain, regional operators can deliver private network solutions to the enterprises with better economics and profit profiles than the Tier-1s can afford.

As Tier-1s research and invest in private networks for their own markets, regional carriers have access to standards-based, proven technologies, validated business models and a proliferating ecosystem to tap into private networks’ potential.

Let Ericsson help you leverage your hometown advantage.

Ericsson is a global leader when it comes to building, maintaining and operating mobile networks. Ericsson’s services organization can support regional carriers in all parts of the world.

Our expertise isn’t reserved for big Tier-1 service providers. Through our Regional Connect program, Ericsson works closely with regional carriers, supporting their imperatives and their values to serve their communities while seeking growth and sustainability.

Choosing Ericsson for development of a private network provides regional carriers with a long-term partner that will continue to drive innovation within communication and connectivity.

Ericsson has a well-proven technology that is compliant with all regulatory standards and is trusted to deliver critical infrastructure solutions and services to a wide variety of business and civil functions.

Having performed many private network installations and supported enterprises of all sizes, Ericsson is ready to support regional carriers and their customers throughout the connectivity journey.

Learn more about private networks here.

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Mining industry strikes gold with mobile communications Moving millions of metric tons (MMT) of rock on giant machines requires minute precision, and any disturbance in the finely tuned flow of materials can have major consequences on a mine’s operations.

To improve profitability, a mine must optimize the flow of ore through efficient transport and metal extraction. With incremental improvements delivering diminishing returns, the mining industry has shifted its focus to automation – enabled by mobile connectivity that’s robust enough to deploy in harsh environments but won’t disturb ore production.

One of the world’s most successful mining companies, Boliden has eight mines, including Aitik, the largest open pit in Europe. With Ericsson and other partners, Boliden participated in a research project to co-create the mine of the future. This case study explores the role of automation in the mining industry and uncovers the business value of using 4G and 5G technology.

Adoption of automation Aitik aims to increase annual production from 36 MMT of copper ore to 45 MMT. On average, one metric ton of rock must be removed to access one metric ton of ore, which means as production increases, the amount of rock removed increases equally, if not more. Addressing this issue isn’t as simple as adding more large-scale machines for rock removal or maintaining the same level of equipment utilization.

Automated, remotely controlled machines are a solution. Automated drill rigs can move from one drill hole to the next along a predefined path and perform repetitive tasks autonomously, in contrast to a drill rig operator carrying them out manually.

Automating a drill rig could increase operating hours from 5,000 to 7,000 hours per year, enabling Boliden to perform the same amount of blast operations using five modified rigs as opposed to

seven or more traditional rigs. Along with significant efficiency benefits, automation also eliminates the need for additional staff, service stations, and dangerous staff transportation within the mine.

7,000 Automation could achieve 7,000 hours per year of drill rig operation, an increase of 40 percent.

Enabled by communications Fully autonomous, remotely controlled equipment requires high-performance communications. Wi-Fi can handle simple, repetitive tasks in automation, such as drilling holes to certain specifications.

However, Wi-Fi is not designed for the wide area outdoor coverage required by an openpit mine, and it severely limits the addition of other automated machines.

A 4G mobile communication system offers a secure, flexible and future-proof solution for Boliden; however, while 4G can support drill rig connectivity, only 5G can comfortably handle the most demanding requirements: bandwidth, service quality, latency and positioning.

Mobile communications provide the edge For autonomous operations, Boliden’s communication system needs to: • Enable fully remote monitoring with highbandwidth and low-latency requirements • Potentially carry other autonomous and remotely controlled machines, of different brands and with different control systems • Handle an ever-changing production environment and geography

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Figure 1: Yearly potential gains through greater automation machinery

Degree of realized automation

100%

50%

€ 2.5 million 0% Automated drill rigs in Aitik

Automated trucks

Automated excavators

Automated planning and dispatch

Other

Illustrative future – enabled by mobile communications and/or 5G functionality

• Maintain broad coverage for all areas of the mine where machinery or staff are located • Track and coordinate mobile equipment fleets, sensors and other devices with one communications network With high-performance communications, new safety and efficiency measures become available. While some applications need to send minor amounts of data, others (such as fully remote-controlled machines) need the capabilities and capacity offered through 5G. With high-performance communications handling several 3D video streams and managing highly complex tasks remotely, mines could automate complex drilling, trucks, and planning and dispatch.

Unveiling the value By enabling automation, mobile communications present economic and sustainability value. The Boliden drill rig case is merely a taste of what’s to come; a fully automated mine would multiply these benefits, as utilization levels of machinery like drill rigs and dump haulers break through previously unimaginable limits.

The economic value Boliden realized significant savings through automation, decreasing Aitik’s total annual costs by one percent. Using automation enabled by mobile connectivity, instead of buying two new drill rigs, resulted in an annual EUR 2.5 million net saving for the Aitik mine. Additionally, Boliden believes they can see significant gains in productivity, quality and safety by

automating more machinery, primarily trucks and excavators (see Figure 1).

The sustainability value Boliden’s next step is to roll out automated trucks, which account for approximately 95 percent of Aitik’s fuel consumption. Fully automated/remotely controlled trucks drive more efficiently, eliminating unnecessary breaks. Smoother transport flow, steadier speed and less movement lower fuel consumption. The savings potential is estimated to be around 10 percent, which would reduce Aitik’s annual emissions by approximately 9,400 metric tons of carbon dioxide.1

10% 10 percent fuel consumption savings reduces CO2 emissions by 9,400 metric tons.

A mobile telecom service provider opportunity for the taking The opportunity in industrial applications, such as mining, could generate up to 36 percent of additional telecom service provider revenues by 2026.2 But first, several challenges must be overcome: The market is developing fast: Many communications technologies are vying to cater to industrial needs. Wi-Fi is available and in service at several mines for lessdemanding use cases; the industry has decades of experience engaging with

enterprise customers and acting on market changes. Although Wi-Fi cannot currently deliver everything 5G promises, it may not stay this way forever.

Customer engagement is required: Understanding how to engage with industrial customers in their core operations might be the greatest challenge. Traditionally, critical operations are controlled in-house to avoid relying on suppliers to fix serious faults that halt production. Telecom service providers must create trust and deliver certainty to customers.

Delivery models are changing from collective network performance to specific device performance: Though today’s mobile communications solutions serve the majority of current use cases, 5G will enable the most demanding remotely controlled applications.

Gaining a foothold in the industry segment means adapting to customers who are new to mobile communications and have specific demands. Customers will seek local solutions to data integrity, reliability of mobile coverage, security and superior performance. Telecom service providers will need to meet strict and demanding SLAs, sometimes on a per-device basis.

For telecom service providers, the tangible benefits of bringing 5G to mining and other industries are attainable today.

Ericsson is proud to work with telecom service providers and multiple industries on 5G use cases to ensure we develop the right technology for real-world applications and to help industries understand how 5G can accelerate innovation.

1 Calculations and assumptions are described in more detail in Ericsson’s sustainability appendix (document number 1/GFTB-18:001328 Uen) 2 Ericsson, The 5G business potential – Industry digitalization and the untapped opportunity for operators, 2017

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Closing the digital divide: Five things rural carriers can do to accelerate 5G

5G for rural communities has increased in importance during the last six months.

The pandemic has shown the severe negative implications of broadband shortcomings in rural areas. The FCC has proposed a $9 billion 5G Fund for Rural America, and the first regional carriers have activated their 5G networks. This article covers five concrete actions regional carriers can take to accelerate the path to 5G in rural communities.

1. Educate your community on the role of broadband for economic prosperity.

Late in 2019, this task was envisioned as significant from both a motivational and an educational perspective for 2020. But the pandemic has put the spotlight on this need like never before. Access to a digital work environment has been vital to telework

and remote education. The workforce and students see the direct coupling between access to broadband infrastructure and economic activity.

Expect a significant demand from your community to understand the options for both fixed and mobile broadband services.

• Position 5G, as the 21st-century farm roads, required to connect the rural economy to the economy in urban areas.

• Bring forward the opportunities with remote counseling in healthcare, out of necessity for physical distancing today but also as a long-term reality in rural America.

• Put the spotlight on the education sector, highlighting immediate needs for K-12 and the longer-term potential with remote access to college education from rural communities.

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For rural communities to take the path of 5G, they must understand the benefits. Help them understand how these use cases will enable everyone – from their citizens to the community itself – to prosper.

2. Smart citizens enable a clever countryside.

Citizens expect clear answers on what’s in it for them when it comes to 5G. So far, in 2020, we have seen a wide variety of starting points, from strong supporters to activists against the new infrastructure.

Influential local voices in support of 5G have a crucial role to play in informing citizens about 5G and creating trust around the technology well ahead of the deployment cycle.

• Set expectations on what role mobile and fixed wireless access can play and the size of the leap required from the current network and service offerings.

• Paint the potential for different 5G offerings in low-, mid- and high-band spectrum, as this is hard for most consumers to grasp.

• Inform your community about 5G and make it a secure, trusted radio standard.

A well-executed plan in this area generates a community of smart citizens who welcome and demand rapid access to 5G infrastructure. Start by identifying the citizens whom you can collaborate with as influencers to help ensure your 5G messages are well-received.

3. Contribute to firming up data on the real size of your digital divide.

Census blocks, the classic model for measurement of broadband availability, have led to an underestimation of the digital divide. The rural broadband opportunity is, therefore, more extensive than reported. The lack of accurate data has introduced challenges for how to allocate the next round of subsidies.

One action you can take is to better estimate gaps within census blocks today, as well as better understand the risks associated with closing gaps in broadband-

Issue 2

classified census blocks with low penetration. Improving broadband in underserved census blocks is a priority of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF).

Establish a refined view of the gaps in your network footprint. Start with five areas of focus where you can close coverage or capacity gaps over the next 12 to 24 months with 5G.

4. Leverage an expanded pool of subsidies.

Closing the digital divide is growing in importance, and five significant initiatives are affecting rural broadband investments: • The RDOF with $20.4 billion allocated for broadband to unserved and underserved census blocks,1 focusing on fixed wireless broadband access • The $9 billion 5G Fund for Rural America, focusing on improving mobile broadband in rural areas2 • The Secure and Trusted Telecommunications Networks Act for replacement of untrusted vendors in rural broadband networks3 • The USDA Broadband ReConnect Program with a $600 million mix of grants and loans to support investments4 • The E-Rate program, a $4.15 billion subsidy of broadband services to schools and libraries5 This expanded pool of subsidies signals a more substantial societal interest in closing the digital divide faster. Some of the key opportunities to leverage, include: • The RDOF has two main objectives: $16 billion dedicated to unserved census blocks and $4.4 billion for underserved census blocks.

• $1 billion of the 5G Fund for Rural America targets hard-to-reach areas such as farms and ranches, supporting the goal of having 95 percent of U.S. farmland covered by 5G in 2025 to enable precision agriculture.

• COVID-19 has put the spotlight on the need to think broader than connected schools when it comes to rural broadband for families with school-age children as

1 FCC launches $20B Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, February 2020 2 FCC proposes the 5G Fund for Rural America, April 2020 3 H.R. 4998 – Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019, signed into law in March 2020 4 U.S. Department of Agriculture, ReConnect Program, 2019 5 FCC: E-Rate: Universal Service Program for Schools and Libraries, 2019

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school districts have been forced to plan for a more digital reality in 2020-2021.

Evaluate which of the available subsidies you can leverage for a more ambitious network build to meet increased digital demand.

5. Break down a clever countryside vision into an action plan.

Our focus in the last 12 months has been to solidify the visionary foundation for 5G in rural areas. Creating a concrete action plan will help you move your 5G vision to reality. Use these questions for guidance as you plan: • What key learnings can you leverage from the regional service providers that have already launched 5G? • What is holding back broadband in your community today? The broadband literacy of your citizens?

The cost of broadband services?

The required infrastructure investments? Slow subscriber penetration growth? Competition among subscale alternatives?

• What local government and business initiatives represent low-hanging fruit?

Gain support from these stakeholders.

• What are the hurdles that represent small-effort and high-impact initiatives that should be prioritized in the next 12 months?

The pandemic has put rural broadband gaps in focus, especially for students and rural citizens who must learn and work from home. Regional carriers have the opportunity to accelerate the closure of the digital divide through a combination of tactical 4G deployments and concrete 5G plans for their communities.

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Ericsson | Regional Connect Magazine

Adapting to new realities Ericsson Mobility Report – June 2020

190m

5G subscriptions are expected to reach 190 million by the end of 2020

83%

During lockdown, 83 percent of smartphone users claim that ICT helped them to cope

A 10 to 20 percent drop in data traffic has been experienced by service providers during the initial COVID-19 lockdown phase

14%

Mobile data traffic grew by 14 percent between Q4 2019 and Q1 2020

25%

By the end of 2025, 25 percent of the world’s mobile network data traffic is forecast to be fixed wireless access

With Verizon, we explore deploying 5G using mmWave spectrum in the US

Ericsson | Regional Connect Magazine

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In 2020, the world’s digital infrastructure became more important than ever.

We are living in unprecedented times.

Directly or indirectly, COVID-19 has affected everyone around the world. Social distancing and stay-at-home orders have kept millions of people at home, placing significant demands on infrastructure.

Systems supporting healthcare, education and businesses of all types are under stress.

Today, connectivity is key, and so far, telecom networks have stood up to the task. This massive disruption has highlighted the value of the network, as recognized clearly by the consumers we

surveyed for the June 2020 edition of the “Ericsson Mobility Report.”

While in some markets 5G subscription growth has slowed as a result of the pandemic, the decrease is outweighed by other markets where it is accelerating, leading us to raise our forecast of global 5G subscriptions to 190 million by the end of 2020.

However, the success of 5G cannot be measured in subscriptions alone. The value 5G brings will be determined by the

success of new use cases and applications for consumers and businesses. In this report we cover aspects of fixed wireless access, gaming and dedicated networks to give a broad picture of the progress of an industry that – despite the current situation – continues to rapidly evolve.

5G was made for innovation and, as the value of the digital infrastructure has been further evidenced during these recent times, 5G investments can play a significant role in restarting economies.

Figure 1: The lockdown restriction effect on mobility and mobile traffic levels*

Highest traffic level increase

Change in density of mobile network users throughout central Paris two weeks before and after lockdown in mid-March

Change in mobile data traffic levels in the Paris area two weeks before and after lockdown in mid-March, showing a geographical shift in demand from central to adjacent and suburban areas

160 million

74%

Fixed wireless access (FWA) connections are forecast to grow threefold and reach close to 160 million by the end of 2025, accounting for 25% of total global mobile network data traffic.

5G will account for 74% of North American mobile subscriptions in 2025.

*Ericsson Analytics based on crowdsourced data

Traffic levels similar

Highest traffic level decrease

The June 2020 issue of the “Ericsson Mobility Report” provides industry-leading projections and analyses of the impact of COVID19 on trends in the mobile industry, including subscription, mobile data traffic and population coverage.

Read the latest report here.

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Ericsson | Regional Connect Magazine

Ask the expert In this installment of “Ask the expert,” Anand Akundi, Vice President and Head of ICT and Managed Services, and Bill Chotiner, Chief Technology Officer for the Regional Carriers Customer Unit, answer questions about 5G standalone core, revenue-generating opportunities for regional carriers, spectrum auctions, and massive multiinput, multi-output (MIMO).

In each issue of “Regional Connect Magazine,” Ericsson experts will answer some of the questions most frequently asked by regional carriers.

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

Submit your questions by contacting your Ericsson account representative.

Ericsson | Regional Connect Magazine

Q: Do I need to move to a 5G standalone core? If so, why?

Akundi: The typical evolution path chosen by operators is to launch 5G via nonstandalone (NSA) on your 4G core and then follow a path to standalone (SA).

Eventually, you will need a 5G standalone core. The good news is that there are many benefits attached to 5G SA, such as enhanced end-user experiences including higher bit rates for your customers; simplified operations, orchestration and service agility from the service-based architecture; and improved network capabilities and coverage.

With a SA core you’ll be able to offer customers enhanced quality of service along with improved end-to-end security.

You’ll also be able to generate new revenues from capabilities such as edge computing and network slicing. Finally, you can extend coverage areas using carrier aggregation. The 5G SA core will enable you to future-proof network architecture, so it can evolve alongside network needs and services.

Q: What does Ericsson see as the largest revenue-generating opportunities for regional carriers?

Akundi and Chotiner: Fixed wireless access (FWA) is happening all around the world and in the U.S., even with companies that don’t own wireless networks. We believe there are extremely viable business cases for wireless operators to offer FWA in their service areas. Six key drivers are: 1. Growth and demand for high-quality broadband, especially in unserved and underserved areas 2. The relatively low cost or free spectrum available with Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) and millimeter wave (mmWave) 3. Substantial technology advancements in LTE Advanced and now 5G, which significantly increase network capacity 4. A strong global 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) ecosystem that enables better cost points and technology evolution and innovation for customer premise equipment (CPE) and other FWA solutions 5. Government support that’s available in many places to improve broadband offerings 6. The capability to further extend customer offerings and grow revenues because FWA is a futureproof technology Second, private networks provide a great way for many operators to add new revenue. Wireless is unlocking opportunities

Issue 2

to address new market segments through private networks. 5G innovations will enable capabilities to separate traffic, through network slicing for example, enabling customized offerings for businesses. (See “Private Networks for the Regional Market” on page 9 for more information.)

Finally, network sharing with another operator offers an additional way to increase the bottom line. Network sharing at scale can offset network costs, especially in less populated areas. LTE is already fairly robust for this, but 5G provides even more opportunities for new sharing arrangements.

Q: What are some key takeaways from the recent spectrum auctions? What spectrum opportunities should we look at in the future?

Chotiner: At recent mmWave auctions, known, usable spectrum went for approximately $0.01 per MHz-pop on average, and other mmWave spectrum went for as low as approximately $0.001 per MHz-pop. All of the large carriers picked up significant holdings – some as much as 2 GHz. In general the auctions proved the value and importance for mmWave to offer fundamentally new and exciting services.

The focus is shifting to mid-band spectrum, as the U.S. is limited in mid band.

CBRS infrastructure and ecosystem are proving out today in General Authorized Access (GAA) spectrum; Priority Access Licenses (PALs) are offered as a means of providing a higher level of predictability.

The PAL auction floor is $0.02 per MHzpop. As of publication of this article, more than 350 companies are participating in the PAL auction. We see multiple use cases taking advantage of CBRS, including FWA, mobility capacity, and private networks.

C-Band is similar to global 5G mid-band spectrum. Like traditional spectrum bands, it has higher power than CBRS and provides dedicated spectrum licenses. Analysts are estimating a price north of $0.50 per MHzpop on average, and 280 MHz of spectrum are up for auction.

Other spectrum to watch includes the 2.5 GHz Educational Broadband Service (EBS) band. The auction date for that is yet to be announced, and 116.5 MHz will be auctioned on a county basis. Recently, the FCC approved a 3+3 MHz carrier in the 900 MHz spectrum band for Internet of Things (IoT) services. They also approved 40 MHz in the 1.6 GHz spectrum band, but some government and industry agencies have raised concerns about interference to adjacent spectrum services (e.g., GPS).

Finally, the FCC approved 1.2 GHz of

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spectrum in the 6 GHz spectrum band for unlicensed operation.

Q: How does massive MIMO improve coverage in rural markets?

Chotiner: Massive MIMO is advanced beamforming to provide better coverage, capacity and throughput using a formfactor that is similar in size to existing radio antennas, but with many radios integrated in the product.

Uplink coverage is enhanced in Ericsson 64T64R Massive MIMO radio solutions by using the receivers from 64 radios and applying signal processing techniques on the signals received from all the radio receivers. Because the antennae for these radios are distributed across the face of the radio/antenna surface, there are many optimal receive points on the antenna face providing gains over traditional antennae that have a single optimal receive point.

This architecture provides a platform to enable uplink multi-user MIMO (UL MU-MIMO), allowing for the reuse of the same time and frequency resources by many uplink users, simultaneously delivering full uplink capacity to each user.

To further enhance the UL coverage benefits of massive MIMO, Ericsson has integrated the baseband processors into the massive MIMO radios. This integration enables performing calculations directly in the radio unit without incurring the delay and loss of resolution associated with sending digitized receiver data to the baseband over the CPRI interface prior to processing. Ericsson’s massive MIMO product (AIR 6488) has consistently performed up to 17 dB better UL coverage in field testing against competitor products.

Downlink coverage is enhanced by using beamforming to direct the radio energy to the devices receiving data from the radio beam and reduce the radio energy to those devices not receiving from that particular radio beam. This has the benefit of improving signal and reducing noise to all devices in the system, thus enhancing peak throughput rates and effectively extending the radio coverage footprint of the cell sites.

Anand Akundi Vice President and Head of ICT and Managed Services, Ericsson

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

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Ericsson | Regional Connect Magazine

Serve

Ericsson North America partners with Girl Scouts to inspire the next generation of STEM leaders Our employee base has always been passionate when it comes to community service, advocacy and active volunteering. That giving nature has been a big part of our values since our company began. Over the past two and a half years, we have harnessed this passion to achieve an unprecedented partnership with the Girl Scouts.

Ericsson’s company purpose is to empower an intelligent, sustainable and connected world. We are committed to creating positive impact for society and our customers. Digital inclusion is a key focus area of our Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility Program. Investing in increased and equal access to education and developing digital skills are critical to achieving the objectives of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

The Girl Scouts are on a journey to inspire the next generation of STEM leaders by placing 2.5 million girls into a progressive STEM pipeline. This goes far beyond its legacy of cookies, crafts and campfires. As the country’s premier and proven leadership development organization for girls, the Girl Scouts are preparing girls to take their rightful place in leading and shaping an increasingly high-tech world. This is more important than ever when women hold less than 28 percent of STEM jobs in the United States1, yet 80 percent of them are opting out of graduating with STEM degrees.2

The Girls Scouts mission aligns intimately with Ericsson’s ongoing quest to increase the diversity of our workforce and to close the national gap between men and women when it comes to STEM jobs.

The Girl Scouts are truly the expert in girls, and they rely on partners like Ericsson who are the experts in STEM to achieve this critical mission. By working with the Girl Scouts across every Ericsson North American site, employees are making a difference that is locally meaningful and nationally impactful.

We know our employees are busy.

But their passion is obvious when so many of them are willing to lend their expertise, experience, consulting and training. They regularly help by speaking at Girl Scout STEM events, co-hosting events with customers who are just as committed to investing in a female STEM workforce pipeline, or by letting Girl Scouts shadow them at work to explore potential STEM careers.

Here are just a few of the recent initiatives in which the Girl Scouts and Ericsson have partnered.

• Networks: Ericsson laid state-of-the-art fiber throughout the new, first-of-its-kind GSNETX STEM Center of Excellence at Camp Whispering Cedars in South Dallas, a more than 90-acre living laboratory where STEM experiences for the girls are hands-on, immersive and intensive.

• Digital transformation: Ericsson’s digital onboarding platform Jumpstart is being co-developed into a multimedia and personalized digital assistant to help STEM volunteers get progressively more tech-savvy, anywhere and anytime; Ericsson is developing an augmented reality application, SpARk, to help girls explore the STEM Center of Excellence in an incredibly immersive new way.

Ericsson is leveraging agile ways of work in rapidly prototyping and co-creating these new solutions with the Girl Scouts.

1 “Girl Scout STEM Pledge - Girl Scouts.” Girl Scouts of the USA, t.eric.sn/2WplxH0.

2 Hinz, Serena E., and Xianglei Chen. “Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Graduates: Where Are They 4 Years After Receiving a Bachelor’s Degree?”

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Home Page, a Part of the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 20 Dec. 2017, nces.ed.gov/ pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2018423.

Ericsson | Regional Connect Magazine

• Internships: The best way to change the pipeline of tomorrow is to fill it today, by putting high school Girl Scouts to work at Ericsson as part of our internship program, which has grown significantly year over year. These experiences make deep and lasting impressions on our interns, and they allow our interns to make deep impressions on Ericsson!

These internships are the very capstone of our alliance, ensuring that the progressive STEM pipeline is pointing strategically at our own future.

To see how Ericsson and the Girl Scouts are preparing young girls for careers in STEM and helping them become tomorrow’s inventors, watch this video.

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• Volunteering: Ericsson employees hosted job-shadowing days, networking and etiquette experiences, the Ericsson Technology Camp, field trips to our Ericsson Center of Excellence along with customer partners like AT&T, and so much more. Sharing our incredible people—their stories, examples, ideas and talents—is the most powerful part of this partnership. At the Ericsson-powered Center of Excellence, girls are learning to code, build robots, scale cell towers, and protect their intellectual property. The intellectual property these girls create will change the shape of tomorrow’s world.

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We look forward to many new accomplishments in the coming years as we stay focused on helping the Girl Scouts achieve their goal of putting 2.5 million girls into STEM jobs by 2025.

Learn more about Ericsson’s Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility program here.

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Ericsson | Regional Connect Magazine

Stories of impact from the Regional Connect community In each issue of ”Regional Connect Magazine,” we will celebrate the philanthropic efforts of regional carriers. Thank you for everything you do to make your communities better and stronger.

Helping students get ahead with STEM scholarships To support Alaska students who have decided to pursue a career in science, technology, education and math (STEM), GCI has committed $100,000 to its statewide scholarship program. Fifty Alaska students will each receive a $2,000 scholarship for the 2020-21 academic year through the program, which can be used for tuition and books.

Over the past 20 years, GCI has awarded more than $6 million in scholarships to hundreds of Alaska students attending accredited colleges and vocational/trade schools across the nation. Through their scholarship program, GCI has long been committed to giving Alaskan students the educational opportunities they need to create better futures for themselves.

To hear more about GCI’s Alaska commitment, watch this video.

Serving those who serve us GTA has been serving the Guam community for more than 60 years. As corporate citizens, their longstanding partnership with USO Guam provides troops a home away from home, keeping them connected to their families by offering the fastest internet speeds and most reliable phone services on the island. GTA is once again proud to partner with USO Guam to host the annual Golf For Our Heroes tournament at the Onward Talofofo Golf Course. Funds from the tournament support service members and their families, including the brand-new USO location at Andersen Air Force Base. More than 8,000 troops utilize the USO Guam each month and thousands more are served through deployments, homecomings, Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations.

Ericsson | Regional Connect Magazine

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Connecting the unconnected How can we serve our communities in these challenging times?

When schools began closing because of coronavirus, it suddenly became imperative to make sure that all students had access to high-speed internet.

In Rutland, Vermont, the need was dramatic since so many of the families in the community are living in financial distress, with close to 70 percent of them receiving free or reduced lunch. With limited budgets and resources, Rutland City Public Schools needed to ensure that each of their students could have access to a computer and high-speed internet.

Vermont Telephone (VTel) reached out to Ericsson to help bring broadband services to students working from home. Because speed was of the essence, everyone understood that the fastest way to bring broadband connectivity to the families of Rutland was by providing fixed wireless access service (FWA). However, while FWA is faster to put in place than traditional

wired or fiber-based technologies, it can’t be installed instantly. Usually, it takes weeks, if not months, to put in a working network. But these were not usual times.

The community needed us desperately, and VTel and Ericsson responded.

Ericsson expedited the delivery and installation of next-generation 4G/5G wireless radios and antennas in downtown Rutland. Meanwhile, VTel and its sister company VTel Wireless delivered wireless modems and routers to homes, allowing students to receive free internet service immediately. And Rutland City Public Schools began delivering Google Chromebooks to students. To help make the computers easy to use, the Chromebooks would automatically connect to the internet

when they were turned on. Remarkably, all of this happened not in weeks or months, but in less than 10 days.

As Dr. Michel Guité, founder of VTel, said: “We’re all seeing the same grim news, leaving some to feel even hopelessness. But in Vermont we are deeply optimistic that American ingenuity and determination will help alleviate some of the burdens brought forth by this COVID-19 pandemic.”

Ericsson agrees and is proud to partner with operators and their communities to bring connectivity to rural America and connect the unconnected.

To hear more about VTel’s commitment, watch this video.

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Ericsson | Regional Connect Magazine

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

140 years

technology and services that are easy to use, adopt and scale – making customers successful in a fully connected world.

Global Headquarters: Stockholm, Sweden

of enabling communication

25,000 R&D employees1

99,000 employees

180+ Operates in 180+ countries

31 live 5G networks

54,000 patents

1

As of 12/31/2019 2

As of 4/30/2020

globally2

Ericsson  |  Regional Connect Magazine

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North American Headquarters: Plano, Texas

34 Ericsson North America locations in the U.S.

6 live 5G networks across the United States3

U.S.- based 5G Smart Factory

70+ regional carrier customers

9,500

Intelligent production to manufacture 5G-enabling radios

employees 3

As of 4/30/2020

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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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Ericsson 6300 Legacy Drive | Plano, Texas 75024 Telephone (General inquiries): (972) 583-0000 | Telephone (Ericsson U.S. digital sales): (833) 374-7253 www.ericsson.com

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 2020