Ericsson and Australian communications service provider Telstra are using machine learning and AI to create the first programmable network in Asia-Pacific.

Customers of Telstra are set to benefit from the high-performing, programmable network with 5G Advanced capabilities.

Under the four-year deal, Telstra will upgrade its radio access network (RAN) with Ericsson’s Open RAN-ready hardware and 5G Advanced software. It will also implement AI and automation to optimise network management through self-detection and self-healing capabilities.

The transformation will power Telstra with an advanced, resilient and reliable 5G network. It will provide a platform for application development and the ability to tailor connectivity to the requirements of its customers, including performance-based offerings.

Further, it will open the network to tech innovators from wider ecosystems via network APIs.

The adoption and acceleration in uptake of network APIs, and how they can drive telecom industry monetisation opportunities, are also the focus of the recently announced global venture, Aduna, of which Ericsson and Telstra are founding members. Telstra’s 5G Advanced network capabilities will be central to the delivery of such API-based services.

Th capabilities of the 5G Standalone (5G SA) services are key to enabling the use cases and developer innovation that will make Industry 4.0 a reality in Australia.

“We are at an inflection point, where customer needs for technology and connectivity are becoming more sophisticated, requiring a step change in how connectivity is delivered and consumed,” said Vicki Brady, CEO of Telstra. “At the same time, demand for mobile data on our network has tripled over the past five years. Through our partnership with Ericsson, the first-of-its-kind for any operator across Asia-Pacific, we will evolve our offering and improve the efficiency of how we use our spectrum so we can increase our 5G network capacity to deliver better consistency of performance, reliability and speed to millions of customers. With a programmable network, we will move from a one-size-fits all proposition, to being able to deliver more sophisticated use cases and commercial models to provide a differentiated and more tailored connectivity experience to customers.”

Börje Ekholm, CEO of Ericsson, added: “High-performing programmable networks are the building blocks to digitalise enterprises and nations. Telstra – a longstanding early adopter partner of Ericsson – is set to enjoy the benefits that Ericsson 5G SA connectivity will bring. This faster, more secure and differentiated connectivity will transform consumer and enterprise experiences and enable developers to use 5G technologies to experiment, innovate and build game-changing applications. Through this deal, Telstra is also empowering Australians – from single developers to the nation’s largest industries – to play their part in ensuring Australia is competitive on the global stage. We look forward to working closely with Telstra to make that happen.”

The network will increase Telstra’s spectrum investments and operational efficiency. It aims to double 5G capacity, deliver improved consistency of service, increase depth of coverage, increase uplink and downlink speeds, and reduce energy consumption.

In addition, it will enable the transformation of traditional one-size fits all mobile services towards differentiated connectivity, where consumers and enterprises can create their own service experience.

The technology includes Ericsson’s Open RAN-ready Massive MIMO radios and RAN Compute offerings as well as its latest 5G Advanced subscriptions to deliver services, drive operational efficiency and increase performance. The scope also includes Ericsson EIAP intelligent automation platform, open network management and automation platform for open, multi-vendor and multi-technology networks, supporting all 4G and 5G RAN.

This will improve network management and automation by leveraging EIAP and developer eco-system tools to create and deploy custom applications that employ automation techniques, including machine learning and AI, to optimise the network and deliver improved sustainable operations.

In addition to Ericsson (www.ericsson.com) and Telstra (www.telstra.com.au), the founding members of Aduna are América Móvil, AT&T, Bharti Airtel, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Reliance Jio, Singtel, Telefonica, T-Mobile, Verizon and Vodafone (www.vodafone.com).

The venture was announced in September 2024, with the company name announced in January 2025. It aims to combine and sell network APIs on a global scale to spur innovation in digital services. Partners will open their networks to make capabilities accessible to millions of developers worldwide, through a global platform for aggregated network APIs. This aim is to drive new use cases across multiple industries and sectors.