Ericsson has been selected by GCI, Alaska’s largest telecommunications company, to build the nation’s northernmost 5G network in Anchorage, Alaska – scheduled to launch in 2020. This marks Ericsson’s 22nd publicly announced 5G contract.
As part of the announcement, GCI will deploy Ericsson’s 3GPP standards-based 5G New Radio (NR) hardware and software to 82 macro cell sites across the Municipality of Anchorage. Those sites will be supported by backhaul services provided by GCI’s metro fiber network.
GCI’s 5G deployment will support local government efforts to grow the northernmost smart city in the US. The Municipality of Anchorage already uses a “light grid” to improve efficiency for municipal street lights and is exploring programs that rely on automated systems and connectivity to deliver services more efficiently to residents. The project will be completed in 2020 with GCI’s initial 5G service coming online in the first half of the year.
Ron Duncan, CEO, GCI
The combination of our assets and Ericsson’s industry-leading 5G solution will increase the capacity of our Anchorage wireless network by 10 times or more and also provide better coverage.
Borje Ekholm, President and CEO, Ericsson
Consumers will benefit from a premium experience with faster speeds and better coverage, while new wireless functionality will accelerate applications for the oil and gas, mining and healthcare industry across Alaska.
