BT Group and Ericsson strengthen partnership to unlock smarter, more reliable 5G services for UK businesses

BT Group and Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) have renewed and expanded their core network partnership, building on the deployment of Ericsson’s dual‑mode 5G Core on BT’s Network Cloud with new capabilities that will enable more intelligent, predictable and secure connectivity for UK businesses.

The agreement introduces two key 5G Standalone (SA) functions – the Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) and the Network Exposure Function (NEF). Together, these capabilities support BT’s strategy to build a more flexible, programmable, and performance‑aware network that can provide more predictable performance for critical applications, faster innovation through secure APIs, and the ability to tailor connectivity to operational needs.

Enabling dynamic network slicing

NSSF will enhance BT’s ability to manage and orchestrate network slices by selecting the optimal network slice for each user based on factors including time, location, subscription type, current network load, and application requirements.

Crucially, NSSF can dynamically adjust slice assignments in real-time based on network conditions and analytics, meaning that if one network slice becomes congested traffic can be intelligently redistributed to deliver consistent performance even under changing conditions.

By introducing NSSF into its core, BT is laying the foundation for fully dynamic, application‑aware slicing which can give business customers more predictable performance and new connectivity options tailored to their operational needs. For example, a hospital could run its connected ambulances, patient monitoring systems and staff mobile devices on separate slices – ensuring that mission-critical applications are prioritised, even during peak network usage.

Faster innovation through secure, standardised network APIs

NEF enables customers, developers and partners to integrate selected network capabilities directly into their applications and workflows thanks to secure, standardised APIs. This evolves BT’s network from a connectivity layer into a programmable platform which can support new services, partnerships and consumption-based models.

Demand for network programmability is increasing as UK businesses and developers look to integrate network features more closely with their digital services. BT has already demonstrated the value of securely exposing network capabilities through its work within the GSMA’s Open Gateway initiative, delivering CAMARA-certified APIs including SIM-Swap and Know Your Customer to help organisations strengthen fraud prevention.

NEF could also provide developers access to capabilities such as quality‑of‑service controls and device authentication, allowing them service differentiation through intuitive, standardised APIs which eliminate complexity and the need for specialised network expertise. For example, in logistics, a fleet management app could request dedicated low latency connectivity for vehicles in a specific area, or a bank could use real-time device authentication to strengthen fraud checks during mobile transactions.

Greg McCall, Chief Security and Networks Officer, BT Group, said: “Our renewed partnership with Ericsson reinforces our ambition to evolve BT’s network into a more flexible and intelligent platform for our customers. Capabilities like NSSF and NEF are important building blocks that will allow us to respond to customer needs in new ways as the wider ecosystem matures. This is about putting the right foundations in place today so we can unlock more advanced connectivity opportunities in the future.”

Luca Orsini, Head of Ericsson North Europe, said: “By continuing to evolve our 5G Core partnership, we are laying important foundations to build a more intelligent, programmable network that can meet the growing needs of UK businesses and developers. Differentiated services enabled by Network APIs represent a significant and fast-growing market opportunity, and this evolution positions BT to capitalise on that demand by opening up network capabilities in new and innovative ways. We look forward to working with BT to commercialise these capabilities and deliver real value for UK businesses and the wider digital economy.

The agreement builds on a BT’s long‑standing relationship with Ericsson across both its core network and RAN, which includes recent milestones such as the world-first deployment of Advanced RAN Coordination (ARC) and European-first rollout of next-generation Massive MIMO units, boosting network capacity in busy areas.

The expanded deployment of the dual‑mode 5G Core solution will continue to run on BT’s Network Cloud with advanced orchestration and automation capabilities, while integration with Ericsson Expert Analytics provides deep visibility into network and service performance to help BT proactively maintain service quality.

BT Group is the UK’s leading provider of fixed and mobile telecommunications and related secure digital products, solutions and services.

BT Group consists of four customer-facing units: Consumer serves individuals and families in the UK; Business covers companies and public services in the UK; International serves multinational organisations headquartered outside the UK and overseas public sector customers; Openreach is an independently governed, wholly owned subsidiary wholesaling fixed access infrastructure services to its customers – over 700 communications providers across the UK.

British Telecommunications plc is a wholly owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

For more information, visit www.bt.com/about