Ericsson launches unique AI functionality to boost radio access networks

Ericsson has launched an artificial intelligence (AI) software functionality with unique capabilities for optimizing radio access networks (RAN), enabling communication service providers to boost network performance and user experience.

The company’s new AI software capabilities – AI-powered radio access networks – cover two main areas: advanced traffic management, which secures optimal distribution of traffic; and evolved carrier optimization, which enables uplink improvements and predictive carrier aggregation. The new software will become available worldwide from November this year.

Ulf Rydin, Head of Product Area 4G RAN, Ericsson, says: “Ericsson has developed advanced AI capabilities so service providers can improve network performance continuously and deliver a superior user experience. The new AI capabilities can be enabled with a remote software update. Any current installed RAN Compute base will benefit from the enhancements without the need for any site visits or additional new equipment.”

Rydin adds: “AI is key to increasing speeds and predicting traffic, in real time. Our AI capabilities  have been uniquely optimized for the RAN Compute, while preserving full capacity. They now offer increased 5G coverage and LTE performance – all enabled by a remote software update.”

Running faster with AI-powered RAN

Ericsson’s new AI capabilities for advanced traffic management can provide extended 5G coverage, and more intelligence for the dynamic distribution of users across frequencies, improving user experience.

Additionally, Ericsson has also introduced evolved carrier optimizations. With the software functionality’s new traffic-aware carrier aggregation capability, it can offer an instant speed boost in the uplink and the downlink simultaneously for smartphone users.

The RAN Compute architecture is optimized to process network data using AI instantaneously, avoiding any capacity degradation. Ericsson’s unique AI algorithms are added in the radio site as close to the end-user as possible, providing extended 5G coverage as well as even better LTE performance.

5G coverage can be boosted by up to 25 percent using Ericsson’s AI new capabilities compared with default settings. It will also enable four times more uplink capacity on LTE networks for a more seamless upload of data, through traffic-aware carrier aggregation, boosting connectivity for a broad ecosystem of advanced smartphones.

Data consumption has increased threefold in the past two years, and most smartphones sold today have Gigabit LTE or 5G. As LTE networks are growing, and 5G networks are rolled out, traffic and frequency bands need to be managed in an efficient way. “Our new unique AI functionalities enable basebands to analyze data and anticipate needs, providing better coverage and connectivity speeds for all users,” Rydin says.