First 6G OTA test conducted by Ericsson in the US

Ericsson announces that the company has successfully conducted the world's first 6G pre-standard test over the air (OTA), a key milestone on the path to commercial 6G networks. "6G will be fundamental to how artificial intelligence is scaled in society and will be crucial for U.S. national security, economic prosperity, and global competitiveness," says Börje Ekholm, CEO and President of Ericsson, in a press release. The OTA session was conducted at Ericsson's U.S. headquarters in Plano, Texas, confirming that key building blocks for 6G are ready for use. The demonstration included radio hardware, RAN Compute, software-defined air interfaces, and cloud platforms. Ericsson's software architecture can be implemented on multiple hardware platforms, including CPUs and GPUs. The demonstration in Plano showcased AI robotics with real-time control over a 6G link. Real-time video streaming was also demonstrated in the same 6G environment. The system used 7 GHz spectrum (centimeter wave)—a new frequency range for 6G—and 400 MHz channel bandwidth, enabling high capacity. Ericsson has been operating in the U.S. for over 120 years, with over 6,000 employees, and runs 12 R&D centers focused on AI, ASIC design, and antenna systems. Ericsson currently also manufactures advanced 5G radio equipment and RAN Compute systems at its 5G USA Smart Factory in Lewisville, Texas. The company has invested over $150 million in the factory and is the only manufacturer producing telecom equipment at scale in the U.S. The highly automated 300,000-square-foot facility employs over 550 people in the U.S. As 6G technology matures, Ericsson plans to build upon this U.S. manufacturing base to support future implementations