AT&T joins Ericsson’s Startup 5G program

Ericsson said on Monday AT&T has joined its Startup 5G, becoming the first U.S. service provider to join the global program. The program is designed to help communications service providers (CSPs) accelerate the successful commercialization and monetization of 5G.

"With access to more than 40 global startups, the program offers AT&T a unique opportunity to not only leverage actionable consumer insights from our Ericsson Research Analytical Platform but also connect with innovation partners to emerge, on top of their existing initiatives and programs," said Jasmeet Sethi, Head of ConsumerLab, Ericsson Research.

The Ericsson Startup 5G program provides the following benefits:

• Access to 25 years of consumer insights from ConsumerLab's analytical platform and consumer research programs
• Support from 5G experts and access to 5G testbeds
• Access to Ericsson's worldwide network of CSPs
• Exclusive access to a worldwide network of 40+ 5G startups
• Unparalleled exposure in digital events run in conjunction with Ericsson

Commenting on this partnership, Jay Cary, Vice President - 5G Product & Innovation, AT&T, said, "Tapping into Ericsson's ConsumerLab and its deep catalogue of companies and innovative ideas could help us bring new experiences to life using technology like AR and VR across a variety of interests, including travel and sports."

This project is the latest in a long history of collaboration between the two companies. Late last year, Ericsson and AT&T announced a five-year agreement to accelerate the latter's 5G expansion. AT&T plans to cover 70-75 million people with 5G over C-Band by end of 2022 and reach 200 million by end of 2023.