Sprint and Ericsson to demonstrate live high-speed Gigabit-Class data speeds over LTE TDD

• Industry's first demonstration of Gigabit LTE TDD over 60MHz of spectrum to reach 1Gbps class speeds
• Gigabit LTE TDD technology enhances efficiency of Sprint's rich 2.5GHz spectrum holdings
• When deployed, Sprint customers will benefit from even faster mobile data speeds and a better user experience

To meet the growing demand for high-speed mobile broadband services, Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) and Sprint (NYSE: S) are driving technology leadership and extending the LTE TDD ecosystem with a live demonstration of Gigabit Class LTE TDD data speeds. The demonstration at Mobile World Congress 2017 in Barcelona uses LTE technology advances to show 1Gbps class performance over 60MHz of LTE TDD spectrum, an industry first. 

By 2022, Ericsson expects video applications to drive an eight-fold increase in mobile data traffic. Gigabit LTE TDD will be a key technology to enable users to enjoy data-intensive services and advanced features and applications on Sprint's LTE Plus network at higher speeds for an enhanced user experience. Gigabit performance will deliver extremely fast access to customers' favorite content including improved access to high-quality 4K video streaming.

Dr. John Saw, Sprint CTO, says: "This demonstration highlights the incredible capacity and potential of Sprint's 2.5GHz spectrum holdings and our ability to keep meeting customers growing demand for high-speed bandwidth-intensive applications. With Gigabit-class performance our customers will have a great experience using 4K and even 8K TV and applications such as HD Virtual Reality on the Sprint LTE Plus network."

With Gigabit LTE TDD technology, Ericsson and Sprint will unlock the potential of Sprint's rich spectrum holdings. Sprint has more than 160MHz of 2.5GHz (B41) spectrum in the top 100 U.S. markets and today has deployed three-channel carrier aggregation (3CA) on 2.5GHz in more than 100 markets. Supporting Gigabit Class data speeds over 60MHz of TDD spectrum increases spectral efficiency enabling Sprint to further leverage spectrum assets to support the evolution of advanced consumer and business applications. The Gigabit LTE TDD demonstration is enabled with Ericsson's LTE Advanced features including 4x4 MIMO, and higher order modulation (256QAM), Ericsson Lean Carrier, and 3CA of 60MHz of 2.5GHz B41 spectrum.

Glenn Laxdal, Head of Network Products, Ericsson North America, says: "Sprint has been able to evolve its LTE Plus network to support and exceed its customers' growing need for speed and capacity. Our Gigabit LTE TDD demonstration has given us an opportunity to show how we will co-create a fantastic Sprint customer experience by enabling the use of next-generation technology and applications."

Ericsson and Sprint will also be working together to test 5G technologies such as Massive-MIMO for LTE TDD using Ericsson's next-generation 5G-ready radio (AIR6468) with Sprint during the second half of 2017. 

Ericsson is present today in all high traffic LTE markets including US, Japan, and South Korea, and is ranked first for handling the most global LTE traffic. In addition, forty percent of the world's total mobile traffic is carried over Ericsson networks. More than 270 LTE RAN and Evolved Packet Core networks have been delivered by Ericsson worldwide, of which over 200 are live commercially.

The joint demonstration will be held daily at Mobile World Congress in the Ericsson Booth in Hall 2 in Fira Gran Via from February 27 to March 2, 2017.

Ericsson at Mobile World Congress 2017

Anything can happen on the digital frontier, a promising but undiscovered future. From February 27 to March 2 in Barcelona, Spain, Ericsson is demonstrating a collaborative approach and innovative solutions to succeed in this arena.

With our customers and partners, we work across industries, physical boundaries and perceived limitations. Join us in Hall 2 or online during MWC 2017 and engage in conversations and demonstrations about our favorite things: 5G; platforms and services for IT, Cloud, Networks and TV & Media; connected solutions for industries; the Internet of Things; and partnering for success.

See you there!

Ericsson is a world leader in communications technology and services with headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. Our organization consists of more than 111,000 experts who provide customers in 180 countries with innovative solutions and services. Together we are building a more connected future where anyone and any industry is empowered to reach their full potential. Net sales in 2016 were SEK 222.6 billion (USD 24.5 billion). The Ericsson stock is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and on NASDAQ in New York. Read more on www.ericsson.com.