Ericsson says the real cost of network downtime has gone up as enterprises scale AI and data-driven operations—ranging from “thousands” to more than “a million dollars per day”.
The company also cites research suggesting major outages can cost upwards of US$500,000, with more than 1 in 3 organisations reporting a US$1 million price tag. Against that backdrop, Ericsson argues that treating cellular only as a backup link is no longer enough for “always-on” business needs.
To respond, Ericsson is moving Wireless WAN from a passive failover approach to what it describes as an active, operational layer of the network. In a press release, the company introduced the Ericsson Cradlepoint W2255, paired with Wireless WAN orchestration enabled by Ericsson NetCloud.
Ericsson positions the W2255 as a next-generation 5G adapter intended to give enterprises “visibility, management and troubleshooting tools” for multi-provider Wireless WAN deployments at scale. The release states the design is based on 3GPP 5G SA Release 17 technology and includes what Ericsson calls “seamless” integration with Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity.
Physical deployment flexibility is addressed through a single indoor/outdoor form factor, with the unit described as having a ruggedised, IP67-rated shell for harsh outdoor conditions.
Ericsson then details multiple operational features it says support uninterrupted connectivity: 10x faster carrier failover using Dual SIM/Dual Standby (DSDS) on one modem; multi-WAN visibility, including auto-detection and LEO traffic integration for telemetry and basic controls within NetCloud; and 5G SA multi-slice capability with support for URSP to prioritise specific traffic using carrier slices (for example, it references isolating Point-of-Sale traffic from guest Wi‑Fi).
It also states that eSIM and “Carrier Selection Intelligence” can automate carrier selection by running speed tests on first boot.
For scaling, Ericsson says that when used with an Ericsson E-series router, the solution can support up to five cellular connections and four LEO connections, with NetCloud SASE orchestration using SD‑WAN and Intelligent WAN Bonding to improve WAN performance and resiliency.
IDC’s Brandon Butler is quoted in support of the direction, saying distributed enterprises rely on always-on connectivity and “the consequences of downtime are rising.”
Ericsson also cites GTS Technology Solutions’ Juli Primeaux, who says using cellular as an active part of Wireless WAN “can offer a meaningful operational advantage.”
“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,” adds Pankaj Malhotra, head of product and engineering, Enterprise Wireless Solutions at Ericsson.
Ericsson lists several features, including:
- 10x faster carrier failover, using Dual SIM/Dual Standby (DSDS) on a single modem.
- Multi-WAN visibility, including auto-detection and integration of LEO satellite traffic to provide telemetry and “basic controls” within NetCloud.
- 5G SA multi-slice capability, supporting URSP (User Equipment Routing Selection Policy) to prioritise traffic via slices (Ericsson cites PoS traffic and guest Wi‑Fi examples).
- Automated carrier selection, including eSIM support and “Carrier Selection Intelligence” using speed tests on first boot.
- Scalability with an Ericsson E-series router, enabling up to five cellular and four LEO connections when combined with NetCloud SASE, along with orchestration functions including SD‑WAN and Intelligent WAN Bonding.
