Ericsson approved by BABA for AT&T Open RAN deal

AT&T has partnered with Ericsson for Open RAN Wireless equipment after Ericsson met the quality standard and gained BABA Authorisation.

Here are the details of the news.

Ericsson approved by BABA for AT&T Open RAN deal

One of the leading telecommunication companies, AT&T, announced that it has chosen Ericsson for its Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) equipment supply.

Ericsson is a Swedish telecommunications company headquartered in Stockholm that provides hardware and software services to telecommunications service providers.

Its manufacturing products include 3G, 4G, and 5G equipment, Internet Protocol (IP), and optical transport system equipment.

AT&T’s announcement came last week after Ericsson received Build America, Buy America (BABA) authorization by meeting the U.S. government standards for domestic manufacturing for its Open RAN equipment.

Some fiber cable manufacturers and fiber broadband companies have also received BABA authorization.

Companies such as Commscope, Corning, Prysmian, and Superior Essex have received the BABA authorization for fiber cable networks, while companies such as Adtran, Calix, and Nokia have been awarded BABA approval for fiber broadband equipment.

Sources say Ericsson is the first wireless equipment company to receive BABA authorization under the BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment) Program that offers providers a fund of $42.45 billion to expand high-speed Internet access in all states of the country.

Although BEAD provides funds to fixed broadband providers, the reason behind Ericsson’s getting the BABA approval under BEAD is unclear.

Ericsson’s spokesperson has said that the company manufactures its 5G and Advanced Antenna Systems radios at its 5G Smart Factory in Lewisville, Texas.

The Open RAN equipment for AT&T would also be manufactured at the same company.

In a statement, Chris Network, Executive Vice President at AT&T Network, said, “AT&T is taking the lead in open platform sourcing in our wireless network.”

“With this collaboration, we will open up radio access networks, drive innovation, spur competition, and connect more Americans with 5G and fiber.”

“We are pleased that Ericsson shares our support for Open RAN and the possibilities this creates for American digital infrastructure.”

According to the information provided by the company, AT&T has made a 5-year agreement with Ericsson to build an Open RAN technology-based network.

By the start of 2025, AT&T plans to use Open RAN throughout its wireless network by partnering with many hardware suppliers such as Corning Incorporated, Dell Technologies, Fujitsu, Intel, etc.

AT&T reportedly plans to have 70% of its wireless network traffic in the United States on Open RAN platforms by 2026.

In another statement, President and CEO of Ericsson, Borje Ekholm, said, “High-performance and differentiated networks will be the foundation for the next step in digitalization.”

“I am excited about this future and happy to see our long-term partner, AT&T, choosing Ericsson for this strategic industry shift, moving to open, cloud-based and programmable networks.”

Ekholm added, “Through this shift, and with open interfaces and open APIs, the industry will see new performance-based business models, creating new ways for operators to monetize the network.”

“We are truly proud to be partnering with AT&T in the industrialization of Open RAN and help accelerate digital transformation in the U.S.”