Ericsson and Vodafone are to launch a 5G lab in Spain, called the Vodafone 5G Lab. The innovation hub will ultimately deliver a significant step for 5G in the region, providing a shared space to develop new 5G innovation and applications for consumers and enterprises.
Located at Vodafone’s headquarters in Madrid, the lab will enhance the start-up ecosystem for the development of 5G applications and services of the future.
The partnership will act as fundamental step towards further elevating the quality of 5G in the Spanish market and creating a solid 5G ecosystem that ensures the entire chain of project development, from design to execution, has access to the best connectivity and 5G devices.
“Vodafone 5G Lab aims to become a fundamental co-creation space to develop a new generation of services and applications that our customers will be able to access in the near future.
It is a very important step forward in our strategy to continue being pioneers and a reference in the deployment and use of 5G networks and services in Spain,” said Marta de Pablos, Head of Strategic Marketing for 5G, Vodafone Spain.
Developers and software companies will be able to make use of the network’s 5G speed, to develop new 5G use cases for both the consumer and enterprise sector. It is expected that more than 200 developers and software companies will utilise the lab during its first year alone.
Additionally, the 5G lab will maintain a continuous calendar of events, roadshows, workshops, and challenges with the aim of helping small companies and start-ups that come to the space, with some of these activities to be shared online to ensure maximum possible reach.
“From Ericsson we promote the application of an improved and differentiated 5G connectivity that enables the creation of the most innovative use cases, both for businesses and for consumers.
This collaboration with Vodafone reinforces our commitment to continue opening new paths to stimulate the development of businesses and the society thanks to the connectivity and the technologies that 5G enables,” said Iván Rejón, Head of Strategy and Marketing for Iberia, Ericsson.
The Vodafone 5G Lab is powered by the new Ericsson Cloud Native 5G Core. Running independently of the existing 4G network, the latency of Ericsson’s 5G Core enables network slicing, and improves the stability of the network and its performance.
