Ericsson has won a contract from Erillisverkot Group to supply 5G core network products and solutions for its broadband network.

Erillisverkot Group is the state-run body responsible for communications networks for public authorities, emergency services and other critical services in Finland.

The next-generation Public Protection and Disaster Relief (PPDR) network initiative – called Virve 2.0 – is based on commercial mobile 3GPP technology with enhancements to meet security, availability and resilience.

The ten-year deal taps Ericsson’s dual-mode 5G Core portfolio on a common cloud-native platform. This delivers efficient total cost of ownership and enables the smooth introduction of 5G services. Ericsson NFVI, Dynamic Orchestration and VoLTE solutions are also included, alongside related deployment, learning and support services.

The Ericsson 5G Core solutions will enable Erillisverkot to manage and control its mission critical broadband network, safeguard information security and protect data integrity. The network is planned to be operational mid-2021.

Erillisverkot expects all current Virve services to be completely migrated to next-generation Virve 2.0 technology by 2025.

Timo Lehtimaki, CEO of Erillisverkot, said: “Virve will facilitate cooperation between the authorities and other public safety operators, crucial in daily life but also in crisis situations, such as the current coronavirus pandemic.”