Cellnex Poland Picks Ericsson for a 5G RAN Modernisation That Includes the First Large-Scale Deployment of an AI-Based Microwave Transport Controller

Cellnex Poland selected Ericsson on October 7 as one of its suppliers to modernise and expand the 5G radio access network that carries traffic for Polkomtel’s Plus mobile brand, in a deal covering radios, RAN compute, microwave links, antennas and site enclosures. The agreement makes Cellnex the lead customer for Ericsson’s new high-power E-band microwave radio, the MINI-LINK 6356, and the first large-scale deployment of Ericsson’s Transport Automation Controller, an AI-based platform that automates management of microwave backhaul links.

The hardware is built around Ericsson’s own silicon, which the vendor says delivers better energy efficiency, a smaller physical footprint and lower tower load than earlier generations. Several products in the deal are being deployed at scale for the first time: the AIR 3229 dual-band radio enters the Polish market under this contract, and Cellnex has also adopted Ericsson’s energy and enclosure platform for its sites.

Ericsson’s argument for the deal is vertical integration. Radios, compute, microwave backhaul, antennas and enclosures from one vendor on one silicon family reduce the integration surface that an operator or tower company has to manage, and the AI-based Transport Automation Controller is meant to take the manual work out of microwave link planning and fault recovery. That is a harder claim to verify than a throughput number, because the benefit shows up in operations cost instead of a headline metric.

Neither Cellnex nor Ericsson disclosed the contract value or the number of sites covered, and Ericsson did not disclose financial terms. What is on the record is the product list and the first-deployment status of the MINI-LINK 6356 and the Transport Automation Controller, which can be checked against later site surveys and operator filings.

The deal fits a broader pattern in European infrastructure. Ericsson employs around 2,000 R&D engineers in Krakow and Lodz and manufactures for Europe at a Flex-operated plant in Tczew, which means the Polish modernisation runs on locally built hardware. Ofcom’s Connected Nations 2025 found that more than 80 percent of mobile data usage occurs indoors, which is the coverage gap that sub-gigahertz and E-band backhaul upgrades are aimed at closing in dense urban markets.

For buyers, the relevant read is that tower companies are becoming RAN customers in their own right. Cellnex owns and operates sites for multiple operators, so a modernisation at this scale affects more than one brand’s 5G service quality, and any performance issue with the new radio, microwave or AI-managed transport layer flows directly into Plus’s 5G service.

Supplier’s note: We stock Ericsson radio and microwave backhaul equipment with typical lead times of 8 to 12 weeks for carrier orders, and we hold buffer inventory for MINI-LINK and AIR series units given their longer factory lead times. Cross-reference equivalents from Nokia and Huawei are available for buyers comparing radio architectures. We have commissioned three microwave backhaul upgrades in the past quarter with average turn-up of four weeks including link planning and traffic migration. Stock levels for E-band radio units are tracked weekly against carrier allocation schedules. Pricing is quoted per unit with volume discounts for orders above 10 units, and extended warranty options up to five years are available. All units ship with full manufacturer warranty and bulk orders over 50 units qualify for dedicated account management and on-site commissioning support. (Source: Telecom Gazette, October 9, 2026; Evertiq, October 2026, Cellnex Poland / Ericsson 5G RAN modernisation.)