📋 Tender Overview
OpNet has chosen Ericssons dual-mode 5G Core technology to launch the nations first commercial 5G FWA service based entirely on standalone technology. The implementation which began in September 2021 makes OpNet the first operator in Europe to offer Standalone 5G FWA services.Under the agreement Ericsson will provide OpNet with full cloud-native 5G Core for packet core applications supporting its 5G Standalone network.Ericssons 5G Core dual mode solution is now able to manage both 4G and 5G Non-standalone NSA networks as well as 5G Standalone networks simultaneously.Non-standalone 5G already present in many Italian cities or being implemented superimposes 5G technologies on the underlying 4G infrastructure. With standalone 5G all elements of the network are instead designed for the 5G era offering several advantages including network slicing which allows to develop features tailored to consumers and industries ultra-low latency greater coverage superior download and upload performance greater security and a completely virtualized and cloud-native architecture which will allow OpNet to develop and introduce new services more quickly. Ericsson will also build part of OpNets 5G RAN FWA infrastructure.In 2021 thanks to Ericssons leading technology OpNet - then Linkem - was the first Italian operator and the first in Europe to market a service using the standalone 5G architecture on frequency band 3 throughout the country 5GHz. capable of providing the best possible balance between capacity and coverage even in conditions of non-visibility.Massimo Arciulo CEO of Opnet comments Opnet confirms the industrial developments to ensure the availability of the best available technology in all areas of the country. The collaboration with Ericsson is part of this business plan and thanks to the use of standalone technology we have enabled for the first time in Italy the exclusive use of the 5G radio spectrum on a Fixed Wireless connection. 5G wireless mobile and FWA technologies will play a central role in closing the digital divide and accelerating the deployment of private networks innovative services for the business world and in smart city contexts.Andrea Missori President and Chief Executive Officer of Ericsson Italy comments Standalone 5G enables OpNet customers to fully experience all the benefits of 5G connectivity and will enable businesses across all sectors to reap the benefits of increased speed flexibility reliability and safety. We are proud that Ericsson 5G Core technology is the protagonist of the first standalone 5G network in Italy and to support OpNet in bridging the digital divide in our country.The June 2022 Mobility Report highlights the increasingly important role of Fixed Wireless Access FWA technology for the provision of broadband services. Ericsson predicts that the number of FWA connections will exceed 100 million in 2022 a figure set to double by 2027 when it will reach 230 million subscriptions.
