Ericsson said its Private 5G provides 4G and 5G connectivity through its single server dual mode core

Swedish vendor Ericsson has inked a reseller agreement with South African company Comsol to provide its private 5G solution that will enable Comsol to expand its enterprise business within South Africa’s mining industry.

The deal between the two companies was signed during Mobile World Congress 2023, which took place last week in Barcelona, Spain.

The partners noted that the combination of Ericsson’s private 5G solution and Comsol’s expertise in mining and systems integration will enable South Africa’s mining industry improve worker safety, increase operational efficiency and realize its sustainability goals.

Ericsson Private 5G provides 4G and 5G connectivity through its single-server, dual-mode core, according to the vendor. Ericsson said that the solution comes pre-integrated to ensure a rapid implementation process.

Under the terms of the deal, Comsol will receive the right to resell the wireless networking solution to customers across South Africa’s mining industry requiring 4G/LTE and 5G Standalone connectivity.  

Gary Woolley, Comsol executive at the private networks business unit, said: “As a leader of guaranteed, dedicated, high-speed, last mile connectivity in South Africa, we pride ourselves on exploring the best ubiquitous connectivity solutions to enhance our very own business as well as that of our customers. Being a highly efficient solution, we are confident Ericsson’s Private 5G solution will drive digitalization and further enhance the low latency, high throughput network we offer, to increase operational efficiencies and develop safer work environments.”

Todd Ashton, VP and head of Ericsson South and East Africa at Ericsson Middle East and Africa, said: “We are thrilled to offer Comsol our pre-packaged and pre-integrated, private network solution, Ericsson Private 5G. With its reliable, fast, and secure connectivity, Comsol’s customers will have the platform to enable innovative smart solutions for better operational efficiency and safety. Installed in minimal time, Ericsson Private 5G offers Comsol the reliable and complete coverage on both indoor and outdoor sites.”

Ericsson also said it had successfully delivered a proof of concept implementing the Ericsson Private 5G solution as a pre-packaged standalone implementation of the Ericsson Dual Mode Core, which supports end-to-end cellular data-only services focusing primarily on enterprise applications.

Comsol will utilize the PoC solution to experiment and test various use cases for mining and other industries, including augmented reality, autonomous vehicles and fixed wireless access (FWA).

Comsol said it has connected some of South Africa’s largest mines using networks built on licensed band microwave connectivity.