ENCQOR 5G, Ericsson deploy standalone 5G network

A public-private partnership on 5G technology research in Ontario and Quebec is deploying a standalone (SA) end-to-end 5G network meaning it will no longer have to rely on 4G technology. ENCQOR 5G and Ericsson AB, one of its five anchor partners, made the announcement on Wednesday. The network is capable of serving edge-based applications with one-way latency (the delay between a user's action and the response to that action from the network, application or service) tolerances of less than five milliseconds. The network is, according to a press release, considered a "critical breakthrough for the success of future innovations such as autonomous driving, robotics, and public safety." General manager of ENCQOR 5G Pierre Boucher said in a press release that the deployment of the network was a major step in helping Canada deliver 5G more rapidly. “Through stimulating the growth of our innovative 5G ecosystem, this initiative is supporting the digital transformation of the Canadian economy. and other partners engaged in ENCQOR 5G, notably in the academic sector, will have easy and free access to this cutting-edge technology through our 5G test bench," Boucher said. ENCQOR 5G was first announced in 2018 as a 5G laboratory of sorts, funded by $400 million from the federal government over five years, alongside contributions from some of the world’s largest communications companies, including Ericsson AB, Ciena Inc., and IBM Corp. A standalone 5G network removes the dependency on 4G as the entire network architecture will be new. Most 5G networks in Canada have been deployed in non-standalone mode (NSA), relying on the same radio access network (RAN) architecture as 4G but with new computing functions. The SA network will deliver faster network connection times, simpler mobility management, and immediate access to wide 5G bands, to provide a better user experience. This type of network, including the cloud-native 5G Core, is a "major step" for 5G evolution because it clears a path for technology solutions that require ultra-reliable, low-latency communications and 5G Network Exposure Function capabilities, the release said. "The 5G standalone network is the target architecture for commercial networks in Canada and around the world. By providing the power of standalone 5G now, Canadian SMEs using ENCQOR 5G have an early ability to continue ground-breaking innovation and research," said David Everingham, chief technology officer for Ericsson Canada, in a press release.

ENCQOR 5G, Ericsson deploy standalone 5G network

Brief | April 14, 2021

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ENCQOR 5G, Ericsson deploy standalone 5G network

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