Ericsson launches 5G adapter for multi-site networks

Ericsson has launched the Cradlepoint W2255 5G adapter and new Wireless WAN orchestration through NetCloud for organisations running distributed networks across multiple sites.

The launch comes as businesses face rising costs from network outages and increasingly look beyond using cellular links only as a backup. Recent Ericsson research found that a major outage can cost more than USD $500,000, while more than a third of organisations put the cost at USD $1 million.

Ericsson is positioning the W2255 as part of a broader shift in Wireless WAN design, with mobile connectivity taking a more central role in day-to-day operations. The approach targets companies with branch networks, edge locations and remote sites that need to stay connected even when one link fails.

The adapter is designed as a single model for both indoor and outdoor deployment, with an office-suitable industrial design and an IP67-rated casing for harsher outdoor settings.

Based on 3GPP 5G SA Release 17 technology, the device also supports integration with Low Earth Orbit satellite services. This allows businesses to combine cellular and satellite links to increase network diversity, particularly in areas exposed to severe weather or other disruption.

Ericsson highlighted Dual SIM Dual Standby on a single modem, which enables the adapter to switch to a standby carrier network up to 10 times faster when the main connection degrades. The product also supports eSIM and includes a system that tests network performance on first boot to select the strongest carrier available at a site.

The adapter is also multi-slice capable and supports User Equipment Routing Selection Policy, allowing traffic to be assigned across carrier network slices. In practice, that means a business could keep critical applications such as point-of-sale traffic separate from less sensitive uses such as guest Wi-Fi.

Central management

NetCloud provides the management layer for the new offering, detecting and integrating LEO satellite traffic while providing telemetry, visibility and basic controls within the same system used to oversee wireless links.

When the W2255 is paired with an Ericsson E-series router, organisations can scale to as many as five cellular connections and four LEO connections. NetCloud SASE's SD-WAN and intelligent WAN bonding tools can then orchestrate those links across sites.

This central management approach is intended to reduce the complexity of running Wireless WAN networks across many locations. IT teams get a unified view to monitor cellular health, LEO health, carrier SIM profiles, applications, security events and connected cell towers.

Brandon Butler, Senior Research Manager, Network Infrastructure and Services at IDC, described the issue as a growing concern for businesses with distributed operations. "Distributed enterprises depend on always-on connectivity across branches and edge sites-and the consequences of downtime are rising. A cellular-first, multi-WAN strategy that blends 5G with LEO satellite extends reach, adds path diversity, and keeps critical workloads online when any single link fails. Ericsson's Wireless WAN platform-combining the W2255 5G SA adapter with WAN orchestration-delivers the multi-site visibility, policy-based control, eSIM and carrier profile management, and automation needed to operate at enterprise scale. For retail, manufacturing, and other distributed sectors, this approach supports the uptime and resiliency that demanding applications-including AI workloads-require, while reducing the complexity of day-two operations," said Butler.

GTS Technology Solutions, which works with enterprise customers, said some clients want wireless connectivity in active use from the start rather than held in reserve. "For our customers, the ability to use cellular as an active part of their Wireless WAN from day one can offer a meaningful operational advantage. The Ericsson Cradlepoint W2255 is designed to deliver reliable, high-performance 5G connectivity, supporting the use of wireless not just as a backup, but as a potential component in helping distributed branches stay connected and productive," said Juli Primeaux, Executive Vice President, GTS Technology Solutions.

Enterprise demand

Ericsson's focus reflects broader changes in enterprise networking as businesses add more connected sites, cloud services and data-intensive applications. In those environments, a failed connection can disrupt payments, logistics systems, customer service and internal operations across multiple branches at once.

The latest offering is intended to give IT teams more direct control over a mix of wired, cellular and satellite paths without extensive manual setup at each location. Automated carrier selection is part of that strategy, with the aim of reducing the need for specialist staff to visit sites in person.

Pankaj Malhotra, Head of Product and Engineering, Enterprise Wireless Solutions, Ericsson, said the company sees outage prevention as a central customer requirement. "Outages remain one of the most disruptive risks to enterprise operations, which is why wireless WAN can no longer be treated as just a backup. Our strategy is to elevate cellular to a foundational and active part of the network fabric. With the Ericsson Cradlepoint W2255 and our advanced orchestration, we provide the visibility and control needed to manage 5G and satellite and primary links, giving IT teams the tools to ensure their branch networks remain online and manageable," said Malhotra.