Ericsson 'optimistic' about telecoms' future in China

BARCELONA, Spain -- The telecommunications industry has a bright future in China as operators continue to provide top 5G coverage while leveraging the huge potential of the domestic market, Ericsson's chief technology officer for the Asia Pacific has said.

"I'm very optimistic for China," Magnus Ewerbring told Xinhua at the ongoing Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain.

He noted China's advanced moves in applying the 5G technology in different industries, including manufacturing. "I think other operators in the world can take good inspiration from what's being done in China."

The Swedish telecom giant, present in China since the 1890s, has headquarters in Beijing and operations in Nanjing, Shanghai, Dalian, Xi'an, Guangzhou and Chengdu. It has 5G contracts with China's three telecom giants: China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom.

"We will do our best to try to serve the needs of the Chinese market, going on with the evolution of 5G and one day going into 6G," Ewerbring said.

Speaking of 6G, he remained uncertain about the precise timing and ways of the anticipated technological leap to the successor to 5G cellular technology.

"Today we really don't know ... It's too early to say," he said, adding that it takes time to assess technologies and have the right products. "I'd say from 2025 to 2029 that process will continue," he added.

5G connectivity topped this year's agenda at the MWC, along with the focus on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the mobile industry. The gathering in Barcelona hosted around 2,400 exhibitors from all over the world between Feb. 26 and 29.

"The AI contribution has to be trustworthy, and it has to be responsible, and then we can see how we can get many benefits," Ewerbring said, adding that "AI-based optimization can improve the performance and give consumers better performance."

"We have on display here many examples of experience we have gained from working with operators in China, and elsewhere in the world, and I hope that with that knowledge we can bring good stimuli to the national operators in China," he concluded.