Ericsson, APT deliver Taiwan's first 5G MOCN in NSA structure

Ericsson secured a deal to modernize APT's island-wide 4G LTE networks and to deploy the 5G NSA MOCN earlier this year. As part of the agreement, Ericsson provided high-performing radio access network (RAN) solutions from its 5G-ready Ericsson Radio System portfolio as well as 5G NSA licenses to do 5G Multi-Operator Core Networks, enabling the operator to dynamically operate between 4G and 5G networks, share network infrastructure whilst reducing both capital expenditure and energy consumption.

Taiwanese operator Asia Pacific Telecom (APT), in partnership with Ericsson, has launched the country's very first 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) Multi-Operator Core Network (MOCN) - where two or more core networks share the same RAN and bandwidth. 

"APT is pleased to work with Ericsson to deploy the first 5G MOCN in Taiwan within half a year. APT will provide subscribers with a premium 5G experience with high-speed connectivity, powered by the spectrum and network sharing architecture in a 3.5GHz frequency band with 80MHz bandwidth," said Nan Ren Huang, President of APT.

Ericsson secured a deal to modernize APT's island-wide 4G LTE networks and to deploy the 5G NSA MOCN earlier this year. As part of the agreement, Ericsson provided high-performing radio access network (RAN) solutions from its 5G-ready Ericsson Radio System portfolio as well as 5G NSA licenses to do 5G Multi-Operator Core Networks, enabling the operator to dynamically operate between 4G and 5G networks, share network infrastructure whilst reducing both capital expenditure and energy consumption.

In addition, as part of the modernization effort, the Swedish vendor has also provided the Ericsson Network Manager, OSS migration services and upgrade to APT.

In partnership with Asia Pacific, we are reaching today a significant milestone in Taiwan's 5G development by delivering the first 5G MOCN in an NSA structure. With the launch of the 5G MOCN, we are able to maximize the effectiveness of the existing network infrastructure and significantly increase 5G availability across the island. With our cutting-edge 5G technology and pioneering portfolio, Ericsson will continuously support our partners to provide the most optimized 5G experiences for both the consumer and enterprise sectors.

Chafic Nassif, President of Ericsson Taiwan

APT joined forces with FET to provide 5G services on Taiwan's 3.5GHz frequency band with MOCN in early September 2020 and the network has gone live within a year. The launch of 5G MOCN marks a significant milestone in Taiwan's spectrum and network sharing development, the companies said.