By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
President
and Chief Executive Officer of Ericsson, Börje Ekholm, has stressed the urgent
need to strengthen mobile network foundations as artificial intelligence
increasingly moves beyond data centres into real-world applications and
devices.
According
to Ekholm, emerging AI-driven technologies such as robots, drones, extended
reality devices and autonomous vehicles will require far more than best-effort
connectivity. He noted that only high-performing, programmable 5G standalone
(5G SA) networks can provide the levels of reliability, security and
performance necessary to support these advanced use cases.
Ekholm
emphasised that the deployment of 5G SA should be prioritized globally,
describing it as the critical foundation for automation, network slicing and
large-scale developer innovation. He also highlighted the importance of
building an open and interoperable technology ecosystem spanning 5G and future
6G networks, cloud infrastructure, semiconductors and AI systems, supported by
shared standards and secure supply chains.
In
addition, he called for closer alignment among governments, industry and
academia to prevent fragmentation, duplicated investments and potential
security vulnerabilities as next-generation digital infrastructure evolves.
Ahead
of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, Ekholm revealed that he had
authored an article examining the role of 5G networks in shaping an AI-driven
future. He said the industry has a unique opportunity to create an intelligent
digital fabric capable of empowering industries and societies over the long
term.
He
urged leaders across government, industry and academia to commit to widespread
5G SA deployment, strengthen supply chain security and actively participate in
shaping emerging 6G standards, noting that collective action today will
determine how securely and effectively AI technologies serve society in the
years ahead.
