Telecom
Ericsson Joins Pathways Coalition for Fossil-free Commercial Heavy Transport
Ericsson has joined The Pathways Coalition, a group of innovative companies representing the infrastructure, utilities, transportation and retail sectors, with the ambition to accelerate decarbonisation of heavy transport and reach the objective of zero CO2 emissions latest by year 2050 or earlier, in line with The Paris Agreement. Find out how Ericsson will support the coalition with its unique expertise here.
Today, transport is the second largest source of global CO2 emissions and currently contributes nearly a quarter of all global emissions. Within this, commercial heavy transport represents a significant share of the pie, and in order to reach the climate target set in The Paris Agreement, it is essential to fully decarbonize commercial heavy transport by the year 2050 or earlier.
Produced and published by The Pathways Coalition, The Pathways Study concludes that a transition to decarbonized heavy transport is not only possible, but also financially attractive from a societal perspective. However, to tackle the challenge and speed up the pace of change, cooperation across sectors is necessary.
The four companies that have formed The Pathways Coalition – E.ON, H&M Group, Scania and Siemens – represent different parts of the value chain for electrified transport: energy infrastructure provision, energy solutions and supply, vehicle manufacturing, as well as retail with the transport buyer perspective.
A successful de-carbonization of heavy transport will depend on how well the transport, energy and digital sectors can realize the required integration of infrastructures and services from a planning and operational perspective as well as from a business model and regulatory perspective.
With Ericsson from the digital sector now joining the coalition to share its expertise within digitalization and advanced connectivity, it will add a missing piece to advance the pace of change necessary across this crucial sector. Ericsson will also bring its experiences as a major buyer of transport services for the global distribution of its mobile network equipment and the successful work to reduce CO2 emissions in its own supply chain.
Mats Pellbäck Scharp, Head of Sustainability at Ericsson and responsible for the organization’s cooperation with the coalition, says its unique cross-sector setup is the key to success.
“The coalition is unique from the perspective that we have a cross-value chain approach instead of a within-industry approach – most industry associations like this are comprised of members all from the same industry and are focused on working with your peers in the same industry more or less,” Pellbäck Scharp says.
“We understood that the coalition was seeking a digitalization partner and our involvement felt very natural from both a sustainability and technology perspective, as well as what we thought we could bring to the table to help this coalition reach its objectives.”
Ericsson aims to support the coalition with its unique insights into how digitalization and especially 5G will open up new opportunities for all industry sectors, and more specifically, for making fossil-free road transport a reality.
Managing big data, connected vehicles and infrastructure, as well as more sophisticated digital tools is crucial to reduce emissions faster and generate the efficiencies needed for success. Ericsson will provide important contributions to realize these goals through its competence and experience in the Internet of Things (IoT) and the high-speed and low latency connectivity provided by 5G.
The company’s expertise in these areas will be used to envision and showcase how intelligent planning of transport systems and increased efficiency in the management of e-commerce can reduce the amount of transports needed. Faster and more secure connectivity of vehicles can also enable more refined policy instruments to increase the speed of transition to alternative fuels and solutions for commercial heavy transportation.
Olle Isaksson, Director Global Partnering Industry Verticals at Ericsson says: “The services and infrastructures of transport, energy and digital will have to get much more integrated from a planning and operational perspective as well as from a business model and regulatory perspective.
“We firmly believe in the strength of cross-sector partnering and ecosystems to realize this integration and we are convinced that 5G and easy-to-use global connectivity have the capacities to enable a smarter, more efficient and sustainable transport system. The Pathways Coalition will be an important accelerator for this, and we are very happy and motivated to contribute as a new member.”
An immediate priority of The Pathways Coalition is to prototype and demonstrate new potential solutions for possible adoption in the transport industry that will accelerate and contribute to reaching its goals.
“There are already discussions with members of the coalition on how we can really take the next step and demonstrate our thoughts and ideas on how we can use digitalization, electrification and other fossil-free alternative energy sources to replace traditional fuels and progress this industry toward a fossil-free future,” Pellbäck Scharp says.
WIOCC, Africa’s Carriers’ Carrier, has partnered with Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB), a leading digital infrastructure and shared services provider, in a strategic infrastructure collaboration aimed at enhancing high-speed internet connectivity across the country. This partnership supports digital inclusion and drives Nigeria’s digital transformation.
By combining WIOCC’s extensive wholesale fibre network and expertise with GBB’s national fibre footprint, the collaboration will improve scalability, efficiency and service delivery for businesses and government institutions. It also aims to bridge the digital divide by expanding broadband access to underserved regions and foster partnerships with Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to advance Nigeria’s digital economy.
A signing ceremony was held at Galaxy Backbone’s Corporate headquarters in Abuja, with Darren Bedford, Group Chief Development Officer at WIOCC and Managing Director/CEO of Galaxy Backbone, Professor Ibrahim A. Adeyanju.
They highlighted the strategic alignment of both organizations in driving digital transformation to accelerate Nigeria’s digital future, setting a benchmark for innovation and connectivity that addresses the evolving needs of Nigeria’s digital ecosystem..
Professor Ibrahim A. Adeyanju stated, “Our mission is to provide robust digital infrastructure that underpins Nigeria’s digital economy. This partnership with WIOCC is a testament to our commitment to enabling digital inclusion and providing a platform for collaboration that transforms how businesses, governments and communities operate in today’s world.”
Darren Bedford added, “This collaboration with Galaxy Backbone reflects our shared vision for driving digital transformation. Together, we are creating a platform for innovation and economic growth that will benefit the country with world-class connectivity.”
Schneider Electric, has reiterated its commitment to accelerate growth in the data centre market across East and West Africa regions that have become vital due to rapid digitalisation and increasing Internet penetration.
Commitment on the company’s drive, End User Sales Director, Anglophone Africa, Schneider Electric, Rohan de Beer, said, the African data centre market is witnessing unprecedented growth, creating a fertile ground for resellers and distributors to enhance their capabilities and foster stronger relationships with local end users.
De Beer explained that previously, Schneider Electric relied solely on external channels for market development, which sometimes led to missed opportunities and increased competition.
He noted that the new dual approach adopted by the firm seeks to address these gaps by enabling closer engagement with end users to influence technology decisions and secure a larger share of the market.
He added, “Crucially, these engagements will still be fulfilled through Schneider Electric’s extensive channel network.This strategy allows us to influence project lifecycles at an earlier stage while maintaining our channel-driven fulfilment model,” explained De Beer. “Our goal isn’t to increase direct business but to expand our market presence and share while empowering partners.”
“In addition to self-paced learning resources, we are hosting instructor-led training sessions across the Anglophone cluster. The first half of the year saw successful training completions in East, West, and Southern Africa, focusing on technical solutions for partners and distributors,” De Beer added.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, reportedly plans to invest over $10 billion in a privately owned subsea cable network spanning more than 40,000 kilometers.
This ambitious project aims to enhance Meta’s control over its vast internet traffic, reduce dependence on telecommunications companies, and mitigate geopolitical risks.
The proposed route is expected to connect the U.S. East Coast to India via South Africa, and then from India to the U.S. West Coast through Australia, forming a “W” shape around the globe.
The initiative reflects Meta’s strategic move to secure its infrastructure amid growing geopolitical tensions and concerns about the vulnerability of undersea cable.
According to sources close to the company, the initiative, still in its early phases, would be Meta’s first fully owned and operated subsea cable.
This bold move underscores Meta’s focus on strengthening infrastructure to support its platforms, which generate 10% of fixed and 22% of mobile internet traffic globally, as first reported by TechCrunch.
Sunil Tagare, industry expert, who reported the plans in October, noted that the project’s initial budget of $2 billion will likely increase significantly.
“This is a monumental project in both investment and scale. The shortage of cable-laying ships and resources could lead Meta to build the cable in phases,” Tagare explained.
Although Meta has yet to publicly confirm the plans, an official announcement regarding the route, capacity, and objectives is anticipated in early 2025.
Logistical Hurdles: Meta faces difficulties securing the resources needed for a project of this scale. Cable-laying ships are in limited supply, with tech giants like Google already monopolising contracts with firms such as SubCom.
Tight Market Conditions: Ranulf Scarborough, a submarine cable industry analyst, highlighted the constraints. “The tight market for specialised resources means Meta may need to adopt a phased construction approach, potentially extending the timeline.”
Meta’s infrastructure initiatives are led by Santosh Janardhan, its head of global infrastructure. Reports suggest the project is being developed from its South African operations, indicating the growing significance of emerging markets in Meta’s strategy.
Traditionally dominated by telecom carriers, subsea cable construction has seen a shift as content-driven companies like Meta seek greater control over the infrastructure delivering their services.
If successful, this cable will strengthen Meta’s ability to handle data traffic independently, reduce reliance on shared networks, and unlock opportunities in underserved regions.
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