Ericsson has announced that AT&T has joined the Ericsson Startup 5G hub which will help the mobile carrier commercialise and monetise 5G by introducing it to a host of consumer innovation partners. According to Ericsson, the 5G consumer market will be worth $3.7 trillion by 2030 so this can be a major opportunity for AT&T to increase revenue.
Commenting on the news, Jay Cary, Vice President – 5G Product & Innovation at AT&T, said:
“AT&T customers are already enjoying the benefits of our 5G network, with fast speeds, low latency and superior reliability. Now, the network we’ve built is ready to take on more social and immersive experiences that will transform how we live, work and play. Tapping into Ericsson’s ConsumerLab and its deep catalogue of companies and innovative ideas could help us bring new experiences to life using technology like AR and VR across a variety of interests, including travel and sports.”
The Ericsson Startup 5G hub so far includes 40 global startups which AT&T will be able to connect with to offer new products and services to customers. Likewise, the startups will benefit by being able to get their products and services into the hands of new customers. As AT&T is the first U.S. service provider to join the program, some of these startups will be gaining access to the U.S. market for the first time.
While AT&T is the first U.S. carrier to join the hub, carriers from other countries have already joined. These include Three Ireland, Telstra, Etisalat, Mobily, Rogers, and Celcom. The startups cover a whole range of products and services including e-sports streaming, immersive learning, transactable AR, and social VR.
