Picture credit: Ericsson
Ericsson and Cisco have expanded their strategic partnership to introduce a new Wi-Fi solution called Evolved Wi‑Fi Networks (EWN). The offering combines Cisco’s Wi‑Fi technologies with Ericsson’s 3GPP access expertise to deliver reliable, high‑performance Wi‑Fi for Ericsson’s mobile, cable and enterprise customers.
EWN is designed to support a variety of deployment scenarios and use cases. It enables indoor small cell installations that can operate alongside cellular coverage in venues that require both Wi‑Fi and mobile connectivity. The solution also supports operator Wi‑Fi, intelligent traffic steering between mobile and Wi‑Fi networks, and integration with core network functions to ensure seamless user experience and simplified operations.
“Our strategic partnership brings together the capabilities of two leading players in networking, mobility and cloud, creating the best end‑to‑end solutions and opportunities for our customers,” said Rima Qureshi, Ericsson Vice President and Head of the North America region. “By adding Wi‑Fi solutions into the partnership, we will enable our customers to offer best‑in‑class Wi‑Fi in their networks, complemented by our leading 3GPP portfolio and services organisation.”
Under the collaboration, Ericsson’s services organization will manage solution design and deployment based on the EWN offering, while Cisco will provide full product support. Leveraging Ericsson’s global services footprint, operators can adopt new business models and expand into additional markets more readily. EWN can be delivered as a fully managed service with coverage across more than 180 countries, enabling faster rollout and simpler adoption for operators and enterprises.
By integrating Cisco’s Wi‑Fi portfolio with Ericsson’s access and services capabilities, the partnership aims to simplify multi‑access deployments, improve performance in dense and indoor environments, and help operators offer consistent connectivity across mobile and Wi‑Fi domains. The combined solution targets improved user experience, operational efficiency and the flexibility to support emerging use cases that rely on robust, low‑latency wireless access.
EWN is positioned to help service providers and large venue operators accelerate digital transformation projects by delivering scalable, managed Wi‑Fi alongside mobile services. The combined support model from Ericsson and Cisco is intended to reduce deployment complexity, shorten time‑to‑market, and provide ongoing operational support through a single, coordinated offering.