Microsoft and Ericsson Partner on 5G for Windows 11
Microsoft and Ericsson have partnered to bring enterprise-grade 5G management to Windows 11 laptops. The joint solution uses Ericsson's Enterprise 5G Connect and Microsoft's AI-driven connectivity intelligence to enhance performance and security for always-connected PCs. Seven leading communication service providers have committed to early launch programs.
- The full solution integrates Microsoft Intune for device management with Ericsson's AI-powered platform to monitor network quality and automatically adjust connectivity for optimal performance and security. - General availability of the joint solution is planned for the second quarter of 2026. - The seven communication service providers involved in the early launch are T-Mobile (United States), Telenor (Sweden), Singtel (Singapore), SoftBank (Japan), MasOrange (Spain), O2 Telefónica (Germany), and Elisa (Finland). - This partnership builds on previous successful multi-market pilots and trials involving partners like Thales to automate eSIM profile management and demonstrate automatic network switching between public and private 5G networks. - The technology allows IT departments to remotely automate device connections, provision eSIMs, and enforce security policies across all 5G-connected PCs without end-user involvement. - The solution will initially launch with Surface Copilot+ PCs, which are designed to be AI-ready, highlighting the trend of combining 5G connectivity with on-device artificial intelligence. - The demand for cellular-connected laptops is growing, with over 43 million laptops globally estimated to have built-in 4G or 5G connectivity in 2024, driven by the rise of hybrid and remote work. - The global 5G enterprise market is projected to grow significantly, from USD 5.4 Billion in 2024 to USD 56.7 Billion by 2033, indicating a strong market for solutions like this.
