NBN Co sets Ericsson up as sole radio, backhaul supplier

NBN Co has extended a decade-long partnership with Ericsson to cover upgrade works to its fixed wireless network, and to consolidate the supply of related transport infrastructure.

In a statement, Ericsson said it had picked up the contract “extension” to make 4G and mmWave 5G upgrades to NBN Co’s fixed wireless network.

The upgrades were announced earlier this year at a total cost of $750 million, of which $480 million will come from the government.

In addition to upgrades for the existing footprint, spanning some 650,000 premises, “the additional capacity and reach of the upgraded network will provide up to 120,000 homes and businesses in NBN Co’s satellite footprint access to fixed wireless for the first time,” Ericsson noted.

Another major change that comes with the extension is that Ericsson becomes “the sole supplier of 4G and 5G radio access and microwave transport solutions” to NBN Co.

The network operator was known to have previously utilised other vendors’ equipment for its microwave links.

On the radio equipment front, Ericsson said it will deploy “4G and 5G antenna-integrated radios across NBN Co’s current and future spectrum bands, and the latest Massive MIMO solutions”.

“Also being deployed are Ericsson’s latest high-powered 5G millimeter wave (mmWave) solutions, the latest RAN Processor for 4G and 5G, and Mini-Link microwave transport solutions such as dual carrier solutions in traditional frequency bands, all outdoor E-band, and long-haul,” the vendor said.

Ericsson’s technology is what will allow NBN Co to increase the range of towers from 14km to 29km, the vendor said.

“Investing in 5G mmWave is a part of our commitment to evolve the NBN fixed wireless network for future needs and continually enhance customer experience,” NBN Co’s executive general manager for fixed wireless and satellite Jason Ashton said.

“We’re committed to maximising the performance of both our fixed wireless and satellite networks, and our work with Ericsson will help us push the boundaries of its capabilities to the benefit of the more than 1 million homes and businesses covered by these networks across Australia.”