SmarTone launches 5G in Hong Kong with Ericsson

SmarTone activated its commercial 5G service in Hong Kong. Ericsson is the network provider and was also the sole supplier of SmarTone’s 4G network.

Notably, SmarTone is the first mobile operator in Asia to deploy Ericsson Spectrum Sharing, which enables 4G and 5G to be deployed in the same band and on the same radio through a software upgrade. Ericsson’s solution dynamically allocates spectrum based on user demand on a 1 millisecond basis. The solution also allows for the efficient use of existing Ericsson Radio System infrastructure.

SmarTone is using high, mid and low spectrum bandsin Hong Kong. The 3.5GHz spectrum will be progressively deployed across the territory. At popular places and busy locations, 3.5GHz can also provide ample capacity and support to the 5G applications that require high bandwidth. In the initial stage, SmarTone’s 5G network covers the most outdoor locations, popular indoor locations and major roads and highways for commuting customers.

In March of 2020, Ericsson and SmarTone, announced a five-year contract for the deployment of 5G in Hong Kong.

SmarTone is also using Ericsson’s cloud-native Dual-Mode 5G Core.