Ericsson, 3 Sweden Switch On Standalone 5G Network

3 Sweden has activated a new standalone 5G network built with Ericsson equipment, moving beyond earlier non-standalone 5G services that still relied on 4G for control. The operator tested the setup as a proof of concept in 2025 and shifted to commercial deployment late in the year, using Ericsson’s cloud-native 5G core and radio access network.

CTIO Rajib Eklund said 3 is the first operator in Sweden to launch commercial standalone 5G, describing it as a foundation for a national “digital highway” that can compete with fibre for both businesses and consumers. Heavy users are already stressing the network with intensive gaming and cloud applications. Ericsson said the upgrade enables 3 to pursue new business services, fixed wireless access offers, and network slicing, while also improving coverage, latency and capacity, and lowering environmental impact and operating costs compared with earlier generations.