Ericsson announced that they have delivered the first U.S. manufactured commercial 5G base station to Verizon. The first 5G base station in the US was produced by Ericsson at its new state-of-the-art smart factory in Texas. This development marks a significant milestone as Ericsson continues to strengthen its U.S. capabilities in 5G research, design, manufacturing and service delivery.
The 5G base station delivered to Verizon is the millimeter-wave Street Macro solution, which is key to Ericsson's 5G portfolio for its North American customers. All radio access components are housed in one lightweight enclosure, allowing for the rapid growth of 5G coverage in complex city environments.
The delivery was made in adherence with The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for social distancing due to COVID-19, ensuring the exchange was contract-free.
Kyle Malady, Chief Technology Officer of Verizon, stated that Ericsson’s smart factory is a cornerstone of their collaboration as they work together to bring 5G to consumers, enterprise and public safety customers. Together these types of innovation will accelerate 5G deployments, as they expand their 5G leadership in technology and continue to rapidly build the ecosystem with their partners.
The 300,000 sq. ft. factory, the first of its kind in the U.S., began commercial operations in March and will be fully operational by the end of the year. It produces 5G and Advanced Antenna System radios to boost network capacity, and the facility itself is outfitted with fast and secure 5G connectivity to enable agile operations and flexible production.
5G's low latency, speed and high bandwidth helps to create the factory of the future, enhancing capabilities like machine learning, augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR). Factories powered by 5G dramatically impact data collection, allowing for real-time monitoring of inventory, maintenance needs, higher flexibility and shorter lead times for factory floor production reconfiguration, layout changes and other alterations.
Fredrik Jejdling, Executive Vice President and Head of Networks, Ericsson, said that as the most advanced platform for innovation, 5G will enable a transformation across enterprises – as they are now experiencing in their own smart factories. Automation and remote operations have become more important, and they are working with their customers to make them available for the benefit of industries. From producing the first 5G base stations at the 5G USA Smart Factory earlier this year, they have made their first commercial delivery to Verizon. That's just the beginning.
This domestic manufacturing factory is a critical component of Ericsson's global supply strategy, bringing manufacturing capabilities to the U.S. as the company works to meet the demand for 5G deployment by bringing the supply chain closer to customers.
