Ericsson, with perhaps more hope than expectation, believes 5G networks will start to be deployed in the second half of 2017. Of course, these will be pre-standard efforts like Verizon’s in fixed wireless, and can’t realistically be expected to generate much revenue for vendors, which traditionally fund most of the early roll-out. However, pre-5G trials are piling up, and even before 3GPP standardization, glimpses of the final architecture are getting clearer and more frequent. Arun Bansal, SVP of the network products business unit, believes 5G will be deployed “simultaneously” in China, Japan, South Korea and the US in 2020 and “initial deployments will start in the second half of next year” with Verizon and SK Telecom in the lead. He…