Ericsson 4.5 GHz Massive MIMO AIR 3255 radios operational in DOCOMO's 5G network
Rhea-AI Summary
Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) announced that its AIR 3255 4.5 GHz Massive MIMO antenna-integrated radios began live operations in NTT DOCOMO's 5G network in December 2025. The radios integrate with DOCOMO's existing 3.7 GHz Massive MIMO radios to boost spectrum efficiency and network flexibility.
The AIR 3255 uses Ericsson Silicon and delivers 25% lower energy use, a 20% reduction in embodied CO2, and is 20% lighter (13 kg) than the prior generation, targeting improved performance, sustainability and easier deployment in high-traffic areas.
Positive
- AIR 3255 delivers 25% lower energy use versus prior generation
- 20% reduction in embodied CO2 footprint compared to previous radios
- Unit weight is 13kg, 20% lighter easing rooftop and pole deployments
- Designed to integrate with existing 3.7 GHz Massive MIMO radios to boost spectrum efficiency
Negative
- None.
News Market Reaction – ERIC
On the day this news was published, ERIC gained 0.73%, reflecting a mild positive market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
ERIC fell 0.83% with peers NOK, HPE, CIEN, UI and ZBRA also negative (down between 0.32% and 4.2%), suggesting broader weakness but no strong sector momentum signal from the scanner.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 16 | Cloud/contact center news | Positive | +0.6% | Vonage integrated Salesforce Agentforce Voice into its contact center platform. |
| Dec 04 | Cloud marketplace expansion | Positive | -1.6% | Vonage launched multiple enterprise solutions in AWS Marketplace. |
| Dec 03 | Strategic partnership | Positive | +0.6% | Ericsson took a minority stake in LotusFlare to drive network API adoption. |
| Nov 20 | Industry recognition | Positive | -0.3% | Vonage received three Juniper Research leadership recognitions for its APIs. |
| Nov 20 | Industry report | Positive | -0.3% | Ericsson Mobility Report projected strong long-term 5G and 6G subscription growth. |
Recent news has been mostly positive in tone, yet share-price reactions have been modest and mixed, with several small declines following constructive announcements.
This announcement adds to a series of network, API, and cloud-focused developments for Ericsson and Vonage over the past months. Recent items include Salesforce-native Vonage contact center integrations on Dec 16, 2025, expanded AWS Marketplace offerings on Dec 4, 2025, and a strategic network API partnership with LotusFlare on Dec 3, 2025. The November 2025 Mobility Report highlighted long-term 5G and 6G growth expectations. Price reactions around these updates stayed within low single-digit moves, often not fully matching the generally positive tone.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement highlights live deployment of Ericsson’s AIR 3255 Massive MIMO radios in DOCOMO’s 5G network, adding capacity in the 4.5 GHz band and integrating with existing 3.7 GHz assets. The radios target lower energy use and reduced CO2 footprint while improving spectrum efficiency and throughput via multi-user MIMO. In context of Ericsson’s recent focus on network APIs and cloud integrations, investors may track adoption by additional operators and the balance between traffic growth and profitability.
Key Terms
massive mimo technical
multi-user mimo technical
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
- Rollout got underway in December 2025 to meet current and future needs in DOCOMO's high-traffic areas
- Equipped with the latest Ericsson Silicon, AIR 3255 further reduces energy consumption, CO2 emissions and weight compared to previous radio generations
- New radios will integrate with existing 3.7 GHz band Massive MIMO radios to boost spectrum efficiency
Live AIR 3255 network operations began in December 2025 to help DOCOMO deliver the high-quality network experience its customers expect.
Masafumi Masuda, Senior Vice President, General Manager, Radio Access Network Design Department, NTT DOCOMO, INC., says: "We are promoting the deployment of Massive MIMO radios to maintain and improve network quality amid increasing traffic demand. Ericsson's AIR 3255 Massive MIMO antenna-integrated radios contribute to advancing DOCOMO's Massive MIMO rollout and enhancing customer experience. We will further strengthen our partnership with Ericsson to deliver the latest network capabilities and the best user experience to our customers."
Chafic Nassif, Senior Vice President and Head of Ericsson North East Asia, says: "Ericsson is proud to strengthen and enhance our productive and trusted partnership with DOCOMO by providing the most advanced, secure and efficient Massive MIMO technology on the market. Equipped with Ericsson Silicon, the AIR 3255 will deliver significant network performance benefits to meet DOCOMO's changing network traffic needs, while boosting environmental sustainability and lowering operating costs."
Powered by the latest Ericsson Silicon, the AIR 3255 Massive MIMO radio delivers 25 percent lower energy use, and 20 percent reduction in embodied CO2 footprint, compared to the previous generation.
At just 13kg, the unit is 20 percent lighter than the previous generation, further easing deployment in high-traffic locations. Customer network connectivity experiences will also be enhanced by advanced unit features such as multi-user MIMO - which delivers throughput regardless of network congestion.
The Ericsson AIR 3255 will also enable spectrum to be used more efficiently as data traffic grows. Working with DOCOMO's current 3.7 GHz-band Massive MIMO 5G radios, it will also make the network more flexible and reliable.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
AIR 3255 - Ericsson
Massive MIMO Antenna Integrated Radios - Ericsson
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SOURCE Ericsson
FAQ
When did Ericsson AIR 3255 radios start operating in DOCOMO's 5G network (ERIC)?
What energy and CO2 improvements does the AIR 3255 claim for ERIC?
How much does the AIR 3255 radio weigh and how does that compare to prior models (ERIC)?
Will AIR 3255 work with DOCOMO's existing 3.7 GHz radios and why does that matter for ERIC investors?
What network benefits does DOCOMO expect from deploying AIR 3255 (ERIC)?
How does Ericsson position AIR 3255 on sustainability and operating costs (ERIC)?
