In a first, Ericsson demonstrates 5G technology live in India

New Delhi: Aiming to bring the latest innovations and creating a 5G ecosystem in India, global communications technology leader Ericsson on Friday showcased the first-ever live 5G end-to-end demonstration in the country.

The demonstration using Ericsson`s 5G test bed and 5G New Radio (NR) delivered a throughput of 5.7 Gbps and ultra-low latency of 3 millisecond.

According to a latest Ericsson study, 5G technology will enable a $27.3 billion revenue potential for the Indian telecom operators by 2026. 

"We are strengthening our commitment to the Indian market by pioneering the first live 5G demonstration in the country. The 5G technology showcase has been organised in the direction of creating a robust 5G ecosystem as the government plans to have 5G network roll out by 2020," said Nunzio Mirtillo, Head of Market Area-SE Asia, Oceania and India, Ericsson. 

The demonstration also featured 5G use cases and live demonstration of essential technologies on the road to 5G like Gigabit LTE (1 GBPS download speeds) with License Assisted Access (LAA) technology. 

The LAA live demo highlighted how this technology can leverage wireless network resources using higher frequency bands on a small cell architecture. 

Other technology innovations presented in the showcase included advancements in Radio Network Evolution, 5G Ready Transport and Network Slicing.

Ericsson`s new 5G platform comprises the 5G core, radio and transport portfolios, with digital support systems, transformation services and security.

"5G will bring new level of performance and characteristics to the telecom networks, enabling new services and creating new ecosystems. New revenue streams will open for operators. 5G has the potential to enable 43 per cent incremental revenue opportunity for the Indian operators by 2026," added Nitin Bansal, Managing Director, Ericsson India.

The largest 5G opportunity will be seen in sectors like manufacturing, energy and utilities followed by public safety and health sectors. 

This will be over and above the revenue generated from traditional services which is expected to grow up to $63 billion by 2026. 

According to Ericsson, agriculture will open-up revenue opportunities up to $400 million for telecom operators. 

The application of 5G will be in areas like field monitoring and mapping, livestock routing and monitoring, on-field applications, and related services. 

The retail sector in India will offer potential 5G-enabled revenue of up to $1.15 billion by 2026.