Spark, one of New Zealand’s largest telecommunications and digital services providers, selected Ericsson to supply its 5G Core solution to power Spark’s 5G Standalone (SA) network in New Zealand.
The contract follows a three-month 5G SA trial in 2022, demonstrating the ease with which cloud-native core network solutions – to support 5G SA – can be deployed. The 5G SA trial was underpinned by Ericsson’s cloud-native 5G Core, and integrated with Spark’s 5G Fixed Wireless Access Network (FWA) to test enhanced wireless broadband. The trial’s success confirmed and validated the technical capabilities of Ericsson’s dual-mode 5G Core solution on Spark’s network.
Emilio Romeo, Head of Ericsson, Australia and New Zealand, says: “We’re excited to partner with Spark and support their vision of providing world-class 5G services to New Zealand by delivering a smoother 5G migration through the capabilities enabled by Ericsson’s dual-mode 5G Core technology. As the technology is rolled out across Spark’s 5G network, Spark is set to offer even more performance for its 5G network while opening the door to enhanced 5G capabilities for both its consumers and enterprises.”
5G Core (5GC) is the heart of a 5G mobile network, handling a wide variety of essential functions in the mobile network, such as connectivity and mobility
Ericsson’s dual-mode 5G Core combines Evolved Packet Core (EPC) and the new 5GC network functions into a common, cloud-native platform that supports the introduction of 5G while enabling an efficient co-existence with deployed 4G Core networks.
