Ericsson and Panasonic Avionics are going to bring 5G connectivity to the sky, the sea, and underground.
The companies have announced a new deal that will bring Ericsson’s 5G-ready core solution to Panasonic Avionics through the latter’s AeroMobile subsidiary. That means in-flight 5G connectivity will arrive in airplanes via Ericsson’s technology; and Panasonic Avionics plans to later bring this technology to maritime and mining settings.
The 5G connectivity won’t happen right away, of course. A major player in this emerging market, Ericsson has been busy working with telecoms and other partners to pave the way for 5G, but such networks probably won’t go live until 2018 at the earliest. In the meantime, Ericsson’s tech is facilitating 2G, 3G, LTE, and WiFi connectivity for compatible Panasonic Avionics applications.
In a statement announcing the new partnership, Panasonic Avionics and Ericsson asserted that this deal “is only the first step of an extended strategic collaboration the two companies are embarking on” that will also have a strong Internet of Things focus.
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