DALLAS _ Ericsson is on track to have the most advanced 5G technology manufacturing facility in the U.S. fully operational "later this year," the company said Wednesday.
The factory in Lewisville, Texas, has already produced its first 5G base station used in deploying millimeter wave next-generation connectivity, a key product for Ericsson's wireless carrier customers. The Street Macro base station, the factory's first product, is intended to bolster coverage in metro areas where installing equipment on rooftops is difficult.
"We're excited to produce advanced 5G radio products for our U.S. customers," Ericsson U.S. smart factory head Erik Simonsson said in a statement. "It's also exciting to use our own 5G products in the factory for wireless connectivity to increase production efficiency."
Ericsson's 5G smart factory is not only producing equipment for its wireless customers but also using the enhanced connectivity to automate factory processes like product handling, assembly and packing.
The Swedish telecom company first announced it would build the factory in Lewisville in September.
It's the latest in a string of investments Ericsson has made in its U.S. operations recently as tech companies hasten efforts to establish themselves in the 5G market. Carriers including Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile have been deploying 5G across North Texas over the past year.
The company has launched innovation centers in Silicon Valley and Montreal to research advancements in artificial intelligence, and a climbing facility in Lewisville to train tower climbers.
