Plano, Texas – September 17, 2026 -- Ericsson and Nex-Tech Wireless have signed a four-year agreement to modernize approximately 85 percent of Nex-Tech Wireless' Radio Access Network across rural Kansas, deploying a cloud-native 5G Standalone Core and adding network hosting capabilities for other mobile operators.
Deal extends prior Ericsson-Nex-Tech partnership to cover RAN and Core
The agreement builds on an existing collaboration between the two companies and expands Nex-Tech Wireless' competitive position as a regional carrier serving more than 40 counties in central and western Kansas. The upgrade targets improved network performance, reliability, and continued subscriber growth in markets outside major metropolitan areas.
Ericsson Radio System hardware adds AI-capable processing and FDD/TDD support
Nex-Tech Wireless will deploy Ericsson Radio System products including the AI-capable RAN Processor 6655, alongside updated 4G and 5G SA RAN software. The upgrade is designed to increase throughput, reduce latency, and enable seamless FDD/TDD coverage, improving spectral efficiency and creating a platform intended to scale with future 5G use cases.
Core network expansion adds roaming and billing capabilities for 5G SA rollout
On the core side, the agreement expands Nex-Tech Wireless' existing implementation of Ericsson's dual-mode 5G Core, which runs on Ericsson's Cloud Native Infrastructure Solution (CNIS), to include 5G Core and roaming functions supporting a full 5G Standalone rollout. The deal also introduces Ericsson's Telco DataOps Platform (ETDP) to manage billing and revenue across the core network during the 5G deployment.
Executives frame deal as blueprint for rural carrier monetization
"By partnering with Ericsson to modernize our RAN and expand our cloud-native 5G Core, we are strengthening our network performance today while creating a scalable, future-proof platform for new services and opportunities in the years ahead,