Ericsson opens federal 5G unit to sell USA-made tech to government agencies

Is there an echo in here? Swedish vendor Ericsson has established a new federal division in the U.S. to deliver “5G-driven digital transformation” across multiple agencies in the U.S. federal government. It follows a similar move by Finnish rival Nokia in January to launch a dedicated business unit in the U.S. to deliver private cellular, edge computing, and other critical connected solutions to the U.S. government. 

Ericsson’s new unit is called Ericsson Federal Technologies Group (EFTG); Nokia’s is called Nokia Federal Solutions. Ericsson made no mention of private 5G in its press announcement; instead it referred to “solutions for the… complex communications challenges”. It said it meets U.S. requirements for 5G networks, including for open RAN technologies and equipment Made in the USA (“of U.S. and imported parts”) from its Texas “USA 5G Smart Factory”. 

The new business will be led by Christopher Ling, recruited from consulting engineering services firm Booz Allen Hamilton, which works with public and private sector organizations. Ling was most recently executive vice president at Booz Allen Hamilton, and group lead of its national security business in the U.S. He was with the firm for almost three decades. 

Ericsson said the new business will design “robust, secure, and highly integrated networking solutions to support use cases that place extreme demands on 5G networks”. It said in a statement: “This new organization will also partner with leading systems integrators, existing customers, and government entities to analyze requirements for capturing new demands, driving innovation, and guiding global standardization efforts that are critical in the evolution to 6G.” 

It cited existing partnerships with the National Science Foundation’s Advanced Wireless Research Facility and the CTIA Cybersecurity Lab.

Yossi Cohen, president and head of Ericsson in North America, said: “Connecting individuals, businesses, and national security depends on secure, reliable, and resilient 5G infrastructure. We are excited to build on existing projects with the US government including the DoD where Ericsson provides the foundation for multiple 5G prototype deployments and expand into additional government agencies with our innovation and leadership.”

Christopher Ling, chief executive of the new business unit, said: “Ericsson has been connecting the US for more than 120 years, and I could not be more thrilled to join a company so steeped in resilience, connectivity, and security. As the DoD looks to connect under one secure, unified communication system, I believe 5G is the solution to keep America secure and competitive.”