Alianza Expands, Ericsson Antennas Wax, Nokia 5G Advanced Moves - 5G Factor EP 79

Alianza, Ericsson, and Nokia all made moves to strengthen their competitive prospects across the 5G ecosystem in 2025, assessing the overall ecosystem implications. Alianza signed a definitive agreement to acquire Metaswitch from Microsoft, aimed at advancing the path for communications service providers to enter the cloud native and AI services economy. The acquisition will give Alianza a combined customer base of more than 1,000 communications service providers, including 19 of the top 20 global operators with clear 5G factors in play. We evaluate how Ericsson Antenna System is driving the antenna evolution that is having a significant impact on networks through advances in design engineering, and why antennas are key for maximizing network impact including across North America deployments. We look at Nokia's goals in supporting 3GPP Release 20 and how it will deliver several important 5G-Advanced enhancements including preparation for 6G with official approval of detailed work items expected in 2025. Release 20 will focus on system-wide themes, including network energy efficiency, which is a critical consideration from a sustainability standpoint.