Is 5G coming to Central America?

Secure your free spot! Standalone 5G is coming to Central America with the help of rival Nordic cellular vendors. Ericsson just signed a deal with operator Liberty to deploy a pure 5G standalone core in Costa Rica, which the Swedish vendor claims as a first for Central America — although that's debatable.

Will RACSA launch a 5G network in 2024?

While Ericsson claims that the Liberty deal is the first in Central America, Dell’Oro lists rival Costa Rican operator RACSA as a 2024 launch. Nokia said in October 2024 it was launching a 5G SA network with RACSA (full name: Radiográfica Costarricense SA). Nokia said it would launch 30 sites initially, growing to 500 sites in total.

Will there be a 5G SA network in 2025?

“We expect about a dozen more 5G SA networks to launch in 2025, including AT&T and Verizon,” Dell’Oro research director Dave Bolan told Fierce in January this year. While Ericsson claims that the Liberty deal is the first in Central America, Dell’Oro lists rival Costa Rican operator RACSA as a 2024 launch.

Is Ericsson the New Liberty 5G supplier?

Although this deal is new, Ericsson has been Liberty’s core supplier for a while. “Ericsson has been the sole supplier of their core network,” noted Bolan. Ericsson announces a Liberty 5G SA deal in Costa Rica, where Nokia previously announced a similar deal with rival RACSA.

Does Liberty have a 5G network?

While most operators worldwide operate 5G radios on 4G cores, Liberty will use a pure 5G network to offer low-latency services to industrial manufacturing, healthcare and agricultural businesses, as well as consumers.

How many 5G sites will Nokia launch?

Nokia said it would launch 30 sites initially, growing to 500 sites in total. The Liberty RAN and core updates will involve deploying the cloud native dual-mode 5G Core system, along with more than 1,400 radio sites connecting consumers and enterprises to the new 5G SA network across the entire national territory.