Powering Tomorrow: Ericsson’s 5G Revolution
With a heritage spanning more than 120 years, Ericsson UK and Ireland stands as a cornerstone of the region’s telecommunications landscape.
Supporting up to 80 million mobile subscriptions in the UK and maintaining a global centre of excellence in Ireland, Ericsson is at the forefront of 5G rollout, digital innovation and critical infrastructure modernisation.
Blessing Makumbe, Vice President and Head of Cloud Software & Services for the UK and Ireland at Ericsson, shares his journey, the company’s pivotal role in shaping the industry and his vision for the future of connectivity.
A career built on transformation
Blessing’s journey into telecommunications began at the University of Cape Town, where he studied electrical engineering and discovered a passion for the field.
“I’ve been in the telecoms space for nearly two decades now,” he reflects. “What started at university quickly became a lifelong pursuit.”
After early roles at Siemens (later Nokia) and a leadership position at Vodacom, a subsidiary of Vodafone, he joined Ericsson.
“It’s been almost 11 years with Ericsson now, an incredible journey through different geographies and technologies,” he says.
Unpacking the 5G landscape
When asked about mobile speed disparities in the UK, Blessing points to “density versus rollout strategy” as a key factor.
“When operators deploy radio technology, performance depends on how many users are in that area,” he explains. “If too many people connect at once, the resources are divided, and performance suffers.”
Strategic deployment decisions play a role. “Some areas have excellent capacity, while others face gaps because of how rollout priorities are set,” Blessing adds.
He stresses the significance of 5G standalone (SA) and mid-band spectrum as viable solutions: “Mid-band delivers both coverage and penetration. It’s ideal for dense urban areas. Most performance challenges originate in the radio access network, not the core or transport layers. Once radio capacity is optimised, through technologies like massive MIMO, we can scale the core network accordingly.”
The cloud-native shift: flexibility and efficiency
Blessing describes cloud-native architecture as “transformative” for the telecommunications industry. It has overhauled both operational stability and service delivery.
“With legacy virtual networks, 80% of outages occurred during traffic offloading or node upgrades,” he explains.
“Cloud-native networks eliminate the need to offload traffic. We can perform upgrades in-service, massively reducing risk and improving uptime.”
On the commercial side, cloud-native networks offer unprecedented flexibility.
“Previously, one network had to serve everything from video calls and streaming to gaming. Now, with 5G SA and cloud-native capabilities, we can offer tailored network slices optimised for specific needs,” Blessing says.
Customisation is a key leap forward, he adds: “Without cloud-native, we would still be stuck in a one-size-fits-all world. Now, a Zoom call, an online game or a live stream can each run on parameters suited to their requirements.”
Blessing notes how deployment models are evolving.
“We are seeing edge deployments and on-demand scaling using public cloud infrastructure. That kind of agility is already arriving in the market.”
AI and the intelligent network
AI is another pillar of Ericsson’s strategy, enhancing networks across three key layers: business operations, service orchestration and resource management.
“It’s still early days, but AI is already making a real impact,” Blessing says.
“Think of it like Iron Man: AI enhances what the human can do, but people still make the decisions.”
Intent-based automation is one powerful example.
“If a product owner wants a dedicated network slice for a concert, that intent is translated into technical instructions. The system then allocates bandwidth, latency and quality settings automatically across the entire network.”
Energy efficiency is another significant gain. “We’re using AI to place radios into deep sleep when demand is low. For example, during the day in residential areas, AI cuts energy use significantly, and the radios wake automatically as demand rises again,” he explains.
In manufacturing, AI-driven 5G is streamlining production. At Jaguar Land Rover, tools like screwdrivers are connected directly to the 5G network. “Saving even seconds per task, when repeated thousands of times, delivers real savings,” he notes.
Looking ahead, Blessing sees even more potential.
“AI helps us understand what’s needed, where and when. It enables smart scaling and cost reduction, resulting in a lower environmental impact. The radio layer is where we’re seeing the biggest advances so far.”
Collaboration and use cases: from concerts to critical care
As 5G SA adoption grows, use cases are multiplying, enabled by Ericsson’s slicing technology.
Vodafone’s use during a rugby match is a case in point: “They created a slice just for commentators to ensure uninterrupted broadcast and another for fans uploading videos,” Blessing recalls.
At Glastonbury Festival, slicing powered seamless point-of-sale systems for vendors.
“Previously, many vendors relied on slow 2G connections,” Blessing says. “With a dedicated 5G slice, transactions were faster, queues were shorter and businesses didn’t lose revenue.”
Other UK operators are pushing the boundaries.
“BT has deployed standalone 5G in stadiums, while Virgin Media O2 demonstrated slicing during BBC Children in Need’s gaming event,” Blessing notes. “Every major operator is now exploring slicing and that’s only possible on standalone 5G.”
Critical infrastructure is another area where 5G is making a profound impact.
Blessing points to Ericsson’s recent collaboration with IBM as a compelling example: “Our collaboration with IBM on the Emergency Services Network is delivering mission-critical services to more than 300,000 frontline employees,” he says. “It’s about saving lives with faster networks and smarter systems.”
Rahul Kalia, Managing Partner for IBM UK & Ireland, recently echoed Blessing’s sentiment: “Working with our ecosystem partners, we will deliver mission-critical services for first responders to enhance safety in our communities across Great Britain.”
Blessing reiterates the significance of collaboration and the transformative potential of 5G: “Faster connectivity means faster decisions, real-time video feeds and better response in disasters. That’s the level of transformation we’re enabling.”
Opening the network: Programmability and exposure
Blessing is enthusiastic about the shift toward network exposure and the ability to open up network capabilities to external developers.
“With 5G SA, we can expose parameters like quality of service to developers. That enables new services we haven’t even imagined,” he explains.
A good example is drone delivery: “To ensure drones navigate safely and deliver packages reliably, developers need access to real-time network metrics. Network exposure makes that possible.”
It marks a dramatic evolution from closed telecom systems to open platforms. Ericsson’s acquisition of Vonage and the formation of the Fauna consortium are central to the shift.
“Fauna brings operators together — Vodafone, EE, Three, Virgin Media O2 — to standardise how networks expose capabilities,” Blessing explains.
“It ensures developers, whether they’re from Uber or DHL, have a consistent experience across networks.”
He sees enormous societal potential in these kinds of innovations.
“We could verify someone’s location before authorising a bank withdrawal or confirm identity before a cross-border transfer. Such fraud-prevention and security use cases weren’t possible before.”
Blessing is adamant that more needs to be done to accelerate the 5G SA rollout.
“Data demand isn’t going to shrink. 5G SA provides the performance, efficiency and coverage we need. With government support, we can close the digital divide and unlock economic growth.”
Ultimately, he believes collaboration is key: “By harmonising how we expose network capabilities, we empower developers to create extraordinary services that will shape the digital landscape.”
Realising the 5G promise
As Blessing looks toward the future, he’s hopeful that adoption will match the pace of innovation.
“What I would love to see is the ecosystem fully embracing what 5G standalone and network exposure can offer,” he says. “The potential is enormous, but we need wider understanding and commitment to unlock it.”
He sees the Emergency Services Network collaboration with IBM as just the beginning: “It’s transformational, connecting hundreds of thousands of responders with technology designed to save lives. But imagine if we applied the same thinking to rail, to defence, to connected hospitals.
"We have the technology. It’s time to dream big. 5G can sit at the heart of national infrastructure, encompassing public safety, healthcare and even national security. The question is: how boldly are we willing to apply it?”
Blessing’s vision is an industry-wide one, as a recent comment from Matt Hatton, Founding Partner, Transforma Insights supports: “5G and cloud-native technologies are not just about faster speeds — they’re about enabling new possibilities for public safety, healthcare, transport and beyond.
“The UK’s leadership in deploying advanced networks will have a profound impact on society, provided all stakeholders work together to maximise the benefits.”
