Ericsson and BT put 5G to work in real-world applications

• Ericsson, BT and King's College London partner on development of 5G projects in support of mission-critical services, commercial and consumer markets
• Extending Ericsson's industry and academic collaborations, and leveraging the 5G for Europe network, this collaboration will focus on driving 5G technology to boost market demand and adoption
• Exploring 5G technologies and capabilities such as low latency communication and network slicing will be essential to build rapid and reliable mission-critical services

Together with university research partner King's College London, Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) and BT have signed a multi-year collaboration agreement on 5G testing and development. King's College contributes with low-latency use cases and specialized knowledge in communication technologies, robotics and haptic control.

The collaboration will focus on creating 5G use cases in commercial and consumer markets, with particular focus on mission-critical services such as medical applications. It will involve research into the technical and economic aspects of key 5G-enabling technologies.

With the ambition to be first to market with 5G services in the UK, BT has worked with Ericsson to build a 5G Proof of Concept Center at the BT Labs in Adastral Park, Ipswich. With access to the 5G for Europe core network - linking multiple centers and universities across Europe - Ericsson and BT are testing the network architecture needed to most efficiently deliver commercial 5G services.

Howard Watson, CEO, BT Technology, Service & Operations, and BT Group CIO, says: "The initial focus of the collaboration is on Proof of Concept solutions and trials of services needing both high availability and low latency - both key features of the forthcoming 5G technology."

In 2016, BT bought EE, the United Kingdom's leading 4G network provider. Together, we have the opportunity to build on our existing infrastructure to create a truly converged fixed and mobile network. We look forward to working with Ericsson and Kings College London as we examine the possibilities of 5G, and what it can deliver in terms of flexibility, scalability and the high bandwidths that our customers will require in the future."

Anders Lindblad, Senior Vice President and Head of Business Unit IT & Cloud Products, says:"5G is the foundation for expanding the potential to all Industries.  The cooperation with BT to trial services using 5G technology demonstrates Ericsson's commitment to drive market demand and adoption. By establishing network slices in the context of 5G will be like virtual networks on-demand, and will be crucial for the mission-critical services being trialed."

A demonstration of these capabilities will be on display outside Ericsson's Hall 2 at Mobile World Congress.

About BT

BT's purpose is to use the power of communications to make a better world. It is one of the world's leading providers of communications services and solutions, serving customers in 180 countries. Its principal activities include the provision of networked IT services globally; local, national and international telecommunications services to its customers for use at home, at work and on the move; broadband, TV and internet products and services; and converged fixed-mobile products and services.  BT consists of six customer-facing lines of business: Consumer, EE, Business and Public Sector, Global Services, Wholesale and Ventures, and Openreach.

For the year ended 31 March 2016, BT Group's reported revenue was £19,042m with reported profit before taxation of £3,029m.

British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York.

For more information, visit www.btplc.com

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.

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/db3eed9d-de29-4a13-9f97-8f4a5548b845