Ericsson has announced a strategic partnership with Japanese telco SoftBank that will see the two companies work towards 6G and AI.
The two companies entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a strategic partnership until 2030, noted the Swedish vendor.
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According to Ericsson, the partnership seeks to evaluate, promote, and co-create 'NextWave Tech,' which sets out to advance technologies to the next stage, including AI, Cloud RAN (Radio Access Network), XR (Extended Reality), and 6G.
Both companies will work to explore new use cases and drive technological advancements that will shape the future of cellular networks and their architectures.
"This new collaboration with SoftBank marks a significant step forward in realizing the full potential of AI-powered connectivity technologies," said Jawad Manssour, president and representative director, Ericsson Japan.
"By combining our expertise in RAN and AI, we are poised to drive innovation and shape SoftBank’s future of mobile networks, empowering their technology leadership through 2030."
Ericsson notes that the partnership will also assess how both companies can work towards building cost-efficient networks.
The MoU builds on a tie-up between the two companies last year to push AI-RAN (Radio Access Networks).
Both companies state that the MoU will evaluate the commercial readiness for Cloud RAN deployment with SMO/rApps, including the integration of AI technology.
The partnership will also look to set up efficient and effective network design strategies for emerging use cases such as XR, explore new methods around using radio waves by integrating sensing and communication, plus the promotion of centimeter wave technologies to position Japan as a leader in 6G.
"Our joint efforts in areas such as 6G and AI will not only enhance the performance of our network but also pave the way for new business opportunities and technological breakthroughs," added Hideyuki Tsukuda, executive vice president and CTO at SoftBank Corp.
