BT and Ericsson have announced a “multi-million-pound” new joint partnership to provide commercial 5G private networks for the UK market, said to be the first agreement of its kind in the country.
The multi-year contract will enable BT to sell the next generation mobile network technology to businesses and organisations in sectors such as manufacturing, defence, education, retail, healthcare, transport and logistics.
Private 5G networks provide secure and reliable indoor and outdoor cellular coverage, making them suitable for factories, education and research campuses and other large sites where security and ultra-low latency connectivity are critical.
IoT sensor capabilities can be enabled through a private 5G network to improve productivity, optimise operations and drive cost savings, across asset tracking, predictive maintenance, real-time data processing, automation and robotics.
According to a forecast from MarketResearch.com, 5G private networks are predicted to grow at an average rate of 40% between 2021 and 2028, by which time the global market will be worth $14 billion.
The deal comes after BT recently announced it was investing almost £100m over the next three years in its Division X unit, to accelerate the development of customer solutions that integrate emerging technologies like 5G, IoT, edge and AI.
Marc Overton, BT managing director for Division X, enterprise, said: “This UK-first deal we have signed with Ericsson is a huge milestone and will play a major role in enabling businesses’ transformation, ushering in a new era of hyper-connected spaces.
“We have combined our skill and expertise at building converged fixed and mobile networks with Ericsson’s leading, sustainable and secure 5G network equipment, to offer a pioneering new proposition that will be attractive to many industries.”
Katherine Ainley, CEO of Ericsson UK and Ireland, added: “This ground-breaking agreement means we are together taking a leading role in ensuring 5G has a transformative impact for the UK.”
