5G WAN Bonding Intelligently

Ericsson and Sunswift: A Real-World Showcase of What 5G and Intelligent WAN Bonding Can Really Do 

Ericsson Showcases 5G WAN Bonding

In preparation for the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, Ericsson have partnered with Sunswift Racing, the acclaimed solar car team from the University of New South Wales. This alliance represents a strategic chance to showcase how smart, multi-layered network connectivity can operate under some of the harshest conditions globally.

The testing ground will be the 2025 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge , a 3,000-kilometer trek across Australia’s expansive, connectivity-limited outback. The results will demonstrate how a uniquely robust solution built on carrier grade equipment can provide seemless connectivity in the most unconnected of places. 

Business Connectivity Pushed To The Limits

To support Sunswift’s live race operations, Ericsson plan to implement an advanced WAN solution using Cradlepoint R1900 Series rugged routers, devices designed for high-mobility and demanding environments. These routers will be managed via Cradlepoint NetCloud, a cloud-based orchestration platform that will enable Sunswift’s engineers and data teams to monitor everything in real time, from car battery telemetry and solar energy output to video streaming and push-to-talk communications between their vehicles and teams.

The key innovation being tested and demonstrated is Intelligent Link Bonding, a technology that combines multiple network types,  5G cellular, satellite, and wired WAN , into a single, resilient, and flexible data connection. In remote areas with unreliable coverage and harsh conditions, this solution is expected to provide exactly what the SunSwift team need. 

This technology test in a real world event will showcase how this technology can be used by a wider part of the business community for more day to day use cases. This is especially true for UK businesses in the logistics, emergency response, transportation, and infrastructure sectors. All of these sectors increasingly require: continuous, high-performance connectivity regardless of location.

5G WAN Bonding Explained. A Multi-Network Brain for Mission-Critical Connectivity

Intelligent Link Bonding fundamentally uses three main features that transform connectivity on the move.

The first is flow duplication, which sends important data packets—such as telemetry or communication streams, over multiple links at the same time, providing immediate failover without any loss in performance.

The second is flow balancing, which smartly allocates data traffic across links based on factors like cost, latency, and bandwidth, preventing any single channel from becoming overloaded and ensuring optimal performance where it’s needed most.

The third is bandwidth aggregation, which combines the available capacity from various WANs to deliver higher throughput for demanding applications like HD video streaming or real-time analytics.

You can see how this will work for SunSwift Racing, a team traveling across a continent without reliable infrastructure, this technology is set to ensure continuous, responsive data access even in the most isolated areas. For UK businesses, this would enable field teams, vehicles, or mobile operations to maintain enterprise-level connectivity, even in areas with weak signals or heavy data usage.

Diverse 5G WAN Bonding : From the outback to the M1

This will not just prove a demonstration for solar car fans. UK businesses with any level of mobile operations should be paying attention. Intelligent Link Bonding can provide a reliable solution to some of the biggest challenges in modern business connectivity, especially when people, devices, and vehicles operate outside urban infrastructure coverage.

Imagine how logistics companies managing fleets across rural Wales or the Scottish Highlands can ensure continuous fleet tracking and data reporting. Or, a construction company working on multiple regional sites can maintain constant communication between teams, machinery and headquarters. A mobile healthcare unit, field sales teams, and event broadcasters can also take advantage of the multi-WAN flexibility that Ericsson wants to showcase during the Sunswift race.

Rather than depending on a single carrier or a simple backup system, businesses can combine 5G, satellite, and fixed broadband into one dynamically managed connection.

Business-Grade Benefits Beyond Traditional WAN or Mobile Solutions

For any organization prioritizing operational reliability, this technology immediately delivers four main advantages.

• First, it guarantees resilience by design, a backup system that not only maintains connectivity but is built to instantly adjust if a connection drops.
• Second, it boosts available bandwidth, allowing for enhanced communications such as live video streaming or large-scale data processing without relying on costly, fixed infrastructure.
• Third, it offers smart cost management by dynamically choosing the most efficient path based on the application type and link availability.
• Fourth, it supports centralized cloud management, providing IT teams with full visibility and control over all endpoints, no matter where they are located.

This solution is ideal for CIOs and CTOs managing distributed teams, mobile assets, or edge locations. As digital demands and business continuity needs increase, intelligent WAN bonding effectively links mobile field operations with enterprise-grade performance.

What Decision-Makers Must Weigh Before Jumping In

That being said, these advantages come with certain compromises. Adopting a bonded WAN approach requires an initial investment—particularly in industrial-grade equipment such as the Cradlepoint R1900, software subscriptions like NetCloud, and sometimes satellite service fees. Additionally, some network planning is necessary: creating WAN profiles, establishing bonding rules, and setting up failover mechanisms. Although much of this process can be automated, companies will need either internal expertise or to collaborate with managed service providers to implement it correctly.

It’s also important to consider vendor lock-in. Ericsson’s bonded connectivity system operates most efficiently when using its own hardware and cloud platforms throughout.

For organizations that need high interoperability or operate multi-vendor setups, this might call for additional planning or negotiations.

What Ericsson’s Solar-Powered Experiment Means for Business Reality in 2025 and Beyond

The Sunswift Racing project is more than just a technological showcase—it demonstrates that smart, reliable WAN connectivity is not confined to futuristic scenarios. It exists now, functions effectively, and is adaptable. Combining multiple WAN types into a single, highly flexible network is no longer a luxury but is becoming essential for businesses operating beyond fixed fibre networks and traditional office settings.

In the UK, where geographic diversity, regional infrastructure gaps, and increasing mobility demands pose daily challenges for businesses, solutions like this offer a promising way forward. Whether managing mobile teams, running live events, serving remote customers, or simply ensuring redundancy for critical systems, Intelligent Link Bonding provides a new level of confidence in network design.

Rethinking Resilience for the Mobile Enterprise

As companies throughout the UK rethink their work environments and locations, Ericsson’s intelligent bonding solution highlights the need for enterprise connectivity to be just as mobile, adaptable, and reliable as the teams it serves. Whether managing a connected fleet, supporting a regional team, or providing services from a mobile unit, it’s time to move beyond reliance on a single carrier and vulnerable networks.

We at BusinessMobileContracts.com support UK businesses in evaluating and deploying tailored telecom and mobility solutions. We recognise how vital intelligent connectivity has become. Equipped with the proper tools, intelligent routing, and a cloud-managed WAN infrastructure, UK businesses can now enter a new era of seamless, business-quality performance, regardless of their location.

To discuss 5G WAN Bonding, or your unique business needs, talk to our friendly team.