Telefónica’s Movistar launched a 5G+ service for consumers, enterprises and society in Spain using Ericsson’s 5G core network technology combined with its radio access network (RAN).
Movistar already covers more than 700 municipalities with 3.5 GHz, and plans to accelerate its mid-band rollout during the second half of 2023, with the aim to reach around 1,000 locations by year’s end.
Deployment in the 3.5 GHz band will allow it to offer high-performance connectivity as part of the 5G+ launch. Movistar has offered coverage in the 700 MHz band since last year; it currently reaches around 2200 cities.
Introducing 5G standalone within the 5G+ commercial launch “marks a new milestone” in the companies’ long-term collaboration, one that will enable super-fast response times and faster access to higher data rates for such activities as cloud gaming and immersive media experiences. The standalone technology also supports greater capabilities in the MNO’s commercial network, such as network slicing, enabling new business models across verticals and more revenue opportunities for Telefónica.
