Two important players in the telecommunications sector, Ericsson and TDC NET, have recently joined forces to propel Denmark into the true 5G era. Known for paving the way in 5G innovation, TDC NET deployed the first non-standalone (NSA) 5G in Denmark three years ago, which essentially layered 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) onto a legacy core. The time it took to undertake the full transition to Standalone (SA) 5G underlines the complexity of the shift.
Ericsson’s representatives portray this evolution as a significant advancement in connectivity. Still, it remains to be seen how impactful it is. Niclas Backlund, Country Manager for Ericsson Denmark, stated, “With the 5G Standalone network, we are now able to accelerate the Danish 5G ecosystem and provide a world-class mobile network with a range of new opportunities for consumers and businesses by enabling slicing, and thereby providing service differentiation.”
Indeed, by revamping age-old networks and upgrading to 5G, communication service providers can adopt a more cost-effective approach. The reward? Higher energy efficiency results in lowered operating costs and subsequently, reduced total cost ownership. Simultaneously, these measures future-proof their networks for expected higher capacity needs, offering customers value through new services and capabilities.
TDC NET also reiterates their pioneering role in this space. Jakob Dirksen, the CTO at TDC NET, affirms, “We were the first to introduce 5G in Denmark, and now we are taking the next big step by switching on 5G Standalone…This will offer consumers, enterprises, and industries enhanced efficiency, safety and a range of opportunities across everything from self-driving cars to remote work, healthcare, and mission-critical operations by authorities. In addition, 5G Standalone will also enable energy efficiency improvements thanks to more data being transmitted with the same amount of energy and faster access to content.”
While these benefits sound attractive, do they represent a substantial leap forward in the grand scheme of things? The key features stated in such remarks provide insight into how operators and vendors are commercially positioning the technology, focusing more on streamlining operations than creating unique revenue sources. As this progression unfolds, all eyes will indeed be trained on TDC NET’s performance with this portfolio of opportunities.
