Appalachian Wireless will deploy a 5G SA network using Ericsson gear

By Sue Marek Sep 27, 2022

Rural wireless operator Appalachian Wireless will deploy a cloud-native dual-mode standalone 5G (SA) network that also supports 4G.

Mike Johnson, Assistant CEO of Appalachian Wireless, said that the first phase of the companya€™s 5G deployment will be in its low-band 600 MHz spectrum. However, the company is also looking at other options such as repurposing its 800 MHz spectrum and also deploying 5G in its mid-band spectrum. Appalachian Wirelessa€™ web site says that it plans to decommission its 3G network by year-end.

Appalachian Wireless, which is also known as East Kentucky Network, participated in the FCCa€™s 3.45 GHz spectrum auction (Auction 110) and acquired two spectrum licenses for $4.34 million and the FCCa€™s C-band auction (Auction 107) and acquired one license for $7.4 million.

The companya€™s decision to initially rollout using its low-band spectrum isna€™t surprising. Appalachian Wireless CEO Allen Gillum said during a FierceWireless Executive Panel on 5G at the Competitive Carriers Associationa€™s Mobile Carriers Show last April that the company was planning to deploy 5G in its low-band spectrum and a€œmirrora€ its LTE coverage. Gillum also said that the company had some millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum in addition to its mid-band spectrum holdings.

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Appalachian Wireless will use Ericssona€™s container-based dual-mode 5G core and its 5G RAN for the SA network. In addition, the company will replace its existing 4G network equipment with Ericssona€™s gear and build a dual-mode core network for 4G and 5G. The goal, the company said, is to be able to future-proof its network and deliver advanced services to its customers, many of which reside in rural eastern Kentucky.

5G deployments by rural operators will be a hot topic of discussion during this weeka€™s Competitive Carriers Association (CCA) annual show in Portland, Oregon. FierceWireless will be hosting a breakfast at the conference on a€œMobile Meets Fixed: How 5G Fixed Wireless Traffic Will Grow Alongside Mobile.a€