Why private sector leadership and pervasive, high-performance 5G networks are key to ensuring U.S. tech superiority and economic prosperity

Just as railroads catalyzed industrialization more than two centuries ago, wireless networks have profoundly revolutionized America’s public and private sectors, and they are set to significantly determine the shape of U.S. economic growth for decades to come.

"We are in the middle of a major digital transformation — where AI, cloud and wireless 5G technologies are creating the foundation for transformation across all sectors,” said Erik Ekudden, chief technology officer at the global networking and telecommunications giant Ericsson.

Contributing more than $825 billion annually to the U.S. economy, ubiquitous wireless broadband has made high speed internet available everywhere and powered the app economy — providing advances for U.S. consumers in everything from mobile payment systems to rideshare technology to video streaming. In recent years alone, home broadband — based on 5G networks — has become the fastest growing and most preferred internet choice for American households. And the industry’s impact is only growing, drastically improving productivity across sectors.

For example, 5G is changing the way cargo is handled at shipping ports; unlocking video-optimized medical systems that transport patient data in health care; and improving the response times and day-to-day efficiency of police forces, firefighting squads and other emergency responders.

"The wireless industry is a key driver of technology innovation and investment," said Ajit Pai, president and chief executive officer of CTIA, which represents the wireless industry, and former chairman of the FCC, in a recent release. "It helps advance America's global competitiveness, national security and economic security."

This year is an inflection point for innovation, according to Ekudden. As wireless technology continues to scale, Americans will see even more impacts.

“Advances like connected smart glasses could put personalized AI at consumers’ fingertips wherever they are, and fraud protection systems that take advantage of the 5G platform could add new layers of security when it comes to digital commerce and banking,” said Ekudden.

Yet, for any of these innovations to truly flourish and scale, there must be a trusted, high-performance and pervasive wireless network that is powered by a strong pipeline of licensed spectrum. Spectrum is critical as it’s the invisible radio frequencies that transmit data between devices on wireless networks.

Trusted wireless networks are critical infrastructure for society, supporting key services and connectivity for consumers, industry and public sectors — like governments, police and fire departments, and hospitals — serving not only as a vital engine that drives America’s economy forward, but as an essential component of modern life.

5G Smart Factory: Made in the USA, for the USA

In Lewisville, Texas, Ericsson’s 5G Smart factory is strengthening U.S. network infrastructure while simultaneously advancing career pathways for Americans. By producing critical 5G equipment and Advanced Antenna System radios, the factory is powering the next generation of connectivity.

Enabling innovation through trusted networks

Here in the U.S., companies like Ericsson are at the forefront of creating the very networks that are needed to fuel and sustain this progress.

A key fixture in the U.S. technological landscape, Ericsson has become a global pioneer in telecom, with R&D and manufacturing in the U.S. With a long history of innovation and more than 60,000 granted patents, Ericsson was an essential part of creating the wired telecommunications fabric in the 1900s and has been crucial to the continued development of the wireless networks millions of Americans depend on across the country.

The company has also invested well over $100 billion in R&D for 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G and is leading the way to 6G and beyond — and was behind the invention of Bluetooth technology.

Today, Ericsson provides many critical parts of wireless networks, such as the radios that communicate from the network to wireless devices. Ericsson radios and other technology are deployed at hundreds of thousands of sites across the country by mobile network operators.

These breakthroughs have enabled innumerable advancements. For example, a true revolution is happening in the industrial sector, where 5G has emerged as an essential tool.

According to a Manufacturing Institute survey, 5G networks deliver up to 99.999 percent reliability — a critical threshold that enables replacing physical infrastructure with wireless alternatives. In that same survey, nearly half of respondents indicated that 5G will likely aid their manufacturing processes through increased data usage (48 percent), reduced downtime (40 percent) and increased security (40 percent).

Manufacturers in the U.S. and across the globe are seizing this opportunity, moving forward with large-scale transformation initiatives that will fundamentally change and improve how they operate. In the UK, for instance, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) deployed an Ericsson private 5G network to enable more agile and innovative manufacturing at one of their plants. A private network is a dedicated network that uses 5G to support business and mission-critical needs, often used when security needs rule out the use of Wi-Fi or public networks. Since deploying the private network, JLR has seen greater workflow efficiency, with teams quickly innovating and optimizing manufacturing processes.

Similar deployments are helping revolutionize American manufacturing and industry. For example, Toyota Material Handling’s major production complex in Columbus, Indiana, has increased productivity, enabled faster deliveries to customers and boosted employee morale since replacing on-site Wi-Fi solutions with an Ericsson private network. Business-critical operations at the almost 200,000-square-foot warehouse are now run exclusively over the network, with no disruptions or connectivity loss reported since it launched in 2023.

Beyond manufacturing, Ericsson’s networks are also enabling critical advancements in the public sector. For instance, 5G — and future G’s — have emerged as a key enabler of DoD’s digital transformation, as 5G is the first general-purpose technology that is powerful and secure enough to meet military requirements. Leveraging commercial 5G platforms will enable DoD and the U.S. Armed Forces to benefit from the investment and innovation in commercial networks and accelerate modernization. For defense and security, 5G can facilitate seamless communication that can enhance command and control capabilities, ensure information superiority, allow for increased situational awareness and improve operational effectiveness.

Already, 5G is powering advanced military use cases such as high-resolution intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance systems, logistics/autonomous logistics, supply-chain management, planning and mobility. On the ground in Norfolk, Virginia, for instance, Ericsson is working to execute 5G capabilities at the Naval Information Warfare Center, which will help bring 5G capabilities to Navy sailors. The technology will provide a data-rich environment for sailors, whether on shore or at sea, helping them to understand, act and adapt while serving on the front lines.

In the second half of the 5G deployment cycle, the U.S. will see major additional innovations that improve productivity and increase capabilities in diverse sectors including utilities, mining, retail, oil and gas, ports and logistics centers, hospitals and public safety. And U.S. operators are actively deploying 5G technologies through differentiated connectivity solutions that can accelerate these transformations.

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