Thursday, January 22, 2015

SK Telecom and Nokia Collaborate on 5G

SK Telecom and Nokia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on the development and verification of 5G mobile technologies. The companies will conduct joint research on core 5G technologies such as the gigabit-level data communications and cloud-based virtualized base stations. They plan to establish a test bed at SK Telecom’s R&D Center in Bundang, Seoul.


One area of R&D will be cmWave/mmWave technology, which uses wideband spectrum resources in ultra-high frequency bands (6GHz or higher).

At the MoU signing ceremony at Nokia’s Headquarters in Finland,, the two companies announced plans to demonstrate 5G in 2018 and commercialize 5G service in 2020.

“The future of mobile telecommunications network will not only connect people, but things as well. In the end, 5G will further extend human potential through advanced telecommunications technologies,” said Hossien Moiin, Head of Technology and Innovation at Nokia. “Together with SK Telecom, Nokia will make efforts to allow diverse futuristic services to be efficiently provided through 5G technologies.”

Meanwhile, in June 2014, SK Telecom has signed an MOU with Nokia to cooperate on the development of technologies including virtualization, software-based network establishment and next-generation cloud network management, all of which are critical in developing base stations for the 5G network.

http://www.sktelecom.com/en/press/detail.do?idx=1099


  • In November 2014, Nokia and SK Telecom demonstrated base station virtualization technology (Cloud vRAN).
  • In July 2014, SK Telecom announced a 5G development pact with Ericsson.