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Ericsson created a new subsidiary dedicated to working with U.S. state and federal government agencies
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The entity, Ericsson Federal Technologies Group (EFTG), will be headed by Christopher Ling
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Ling told Fierce that he expects the company “to scale as the business and demands increase”
Ericsson is busy preparing a new subsidiary dedicated to working with U.S. state and federal government agencies.
The entity, Ericsson Federal Technologies Group (EFTG), will be headed by Christopher Ling, who joins the firm as CEO. Ling spent nearly 30 years with military contractor Booz Allen Hamilton, where he most recently headed its U.S. national security business.
EFTG is in the process of getting its Foreign Ownership Control or Influence (FOCI) Mitigation and its Facility Security Clearance. According to Ling, it's necessary for Ericsson Federal to meet these requirements so it can ensure government agencies that it will properly protect national security information.
EFTG’s goal is to accelerate 5G innovation with all federal agencies by working closely with them to develop 5G prototype deployments. But the Department of Defense, in particular, is a key customer. According to Ericsson, about 50% of the Department of Defense’s 5G deployments currently include Ericsson equipment.
Ling noted that 5G is appealing to defense customers because of its ability to “enhance situational awareness, decision-making, and the overall effectiveness of defense applications while enabling the integration of advanced technologies like AR/VR/XR, AI and machine learning, cloud, autonomous systems and edge computing.”
History in cybersecurity
Ling’s emphasis on the Department of Defense and security is not surprising. When he was with Booz Allen Hamilton, one of his primary focuses was cybersecurity and he spent many years working with the government and commercial clients on improving their security policies and procedures.
Ericsson already has a close relationship with Booz Allen Hamilton and is working with the company on a 5G test environment and lab for the U.S. Navy. In addition, Ling said that EFTG will continue to partner with systems integrators like Booz Allen Hamilton and Oceus Networks, which provides 5G private networks for defense customers and first responders.
Ling said EFTG will serve as the interface with all U.S. government customers. He also said that Ericsson employees that are currently focused on government-related work will continue as part of EFTG. Although he declined to provide specifics such as how many employees EFTG will have, he said that the company expects “to scale as the business and demands increase.”
Ericsson said it can meet U.S. government requirements for 5G networks, including the support of open RAN equipment that is manufactured at its Texas-based 5G Smart Factory.
Of course, Ericsson isn’t the only vendor setting its sights on government business. Nokia also created a dedicated Nokia Federal Solutions business in January that is devoted to providing the government with 5G technology as well as IP routing, optical networking and microwave solutions.