Nokia, SKT open 5G research center

Cho Sung-ho, left, head of SK Telecom’s 5G research center, shakes hands with Cho Bong-yeol, head of Nokia Korea’s technology division, to celebrate the opening of the “5G Research Center” in the headquarters of Nokia Korea, Gangnam, Seoul, Monday. / Courtesy of SK Telecom

By Kim Yoo-chul

Nokia, the global leader in telecom equipment, and SK Telecom jointly opened a research center in Gangnam, southern Seoul, Monday.

It will use the facilities, located in the new Nokia Korea headquarters, to develop technology focusing on fifth-generation (5G) networks, Nokia Korea said.

Nokia has teamed up with SK Telecom, the nation's top mobile carrier, to operate the center. This is the first time a global network equipment supplier has partnered with a local carrier to open an independent research center for 5G technology.

“The center will help Korean carriers lead their overseas rivals in the heated race for development of 5G technology and related patents,” it said.

The two companies will focus on developing advanced data-transmitting technology on the cloud computing-based virtualized base stations.

The establishment of the research center comes five months after chief technology officers at Nokia and SK Telecom agreed to collaborate on testing and verifying 5G technology at Nokia's headquarters in Finland, January this year.

Since then, the two companies have been closely cooperating in businesses that they are mutually interested in.

“A flexible and programmable network is a key part of 5G. Our cooperation with SK Telecom has demonstrated key enablers and we look forward to continued cooperation for an early 5G introduction,” said Lauri Oksanen, vice president at research of Nokia, in the statement.