Australia-based operator Telstra signed-up with Ericsson to deploy what the pair claimed as the first programmable network in the Asia Pacific region, citing benefits around the provision of bespoke capabilities to customers.

The four-year project will see the operator’s radio network upgraded to Ericsson’s latest open RAN-ready hardware and deployment of 5G-Advanced software.

AI and automation technology is set to be used to optimise network management, through self-detection of problems and self-healing.

Ericsson noted the new infrastructure would provide a platform for development of new applications and give the operator the ability to tailor connectivity based on customer need.

Highlighting the fact it and Telstra were founding members of API focused company Aduna, Ericsson explained the new kit would provide the means to “open the network to tech innovators from wider ecosystems via network APIs”.  

Telstra CEO Vicki Brady said: “We are at an inflection point, where customer needs for technology and connectivity are becoming more sophisticated, requiring a step change in how connectivity is delivered and consumed. At the same time, demand for mobile data on our network has tripled over the past five years.”

The executive added its new network infrastructure would “evolve our offering and improve the efficiency of how we use our spectrum so we can increase our 5G network capacity to deliver better consistency of performance, reliability and speed to millions of customers”.