KT Chairman stresses carrier-manufacturer collaboration for 5G
KT Chairman Hwang Chang-gyu, left, shakes hands with China Mobile Communication Corp. Chairman Xi Guohua at the Kerry Hotel in Pudong, Shanghai, Wednesday. The two chairmen discussed cooperation in standardizing the fifth-generation network and in sharing network-related technologies. / Courtesy of KT
By Yoon Sung-won
KT Chairman Hwang Chang-gyu met with leaders of the global telecom industry and sought cooperation over the next-generation network and the Internet of Things (IoT) at the ongoing Mobile World Congress (MWC) Shanghai 2015.
Hwang attended the board meeting of the Global System for Mobile Telecommunication Association (GSMA) in the host city, Tuesday, and stressed the importance of collaboration between telecom operators and network equipment makers.
“Telecom operators should take a leading role in preparing for the era of GiGAtopia. In particular, close cooperation between telecom operators and network equipment manufacturers is essential in standardizing fifth-generation (5G) network technologies,” Hwang said during the meeting. “Enterprises should make proactive efforts in developing technology to standardize the 5G network before 2020.”
The GSMA was established by telecom companies, handset makers and network equipment manufactures in 1987 to promote the global telecommunication industry and to discuss network standards.
The association has hosted the MWC in Barcelona every year and recently started an annual international telecom fair in China to reflect the elevated significance of the Asian market.
At the meeting, Hwang introduced Korea’s rapid and successful shift to the long-term evolution (LTE) network. He also emphasized that the nation has started the voice-over LTE (VoLTE) linkage between the three main local mobile carriers ― KT, SK Telecom and LG Uplus ― for the first time in the world.
Hwang also met with China Mobile Communication Corp. Chairman Xi Guohua on Wednesday and talked about how to cooperate in realizing the 5G network at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games. The two chairmen also discussed sharing technologies such as the VoLTE and the IoT for automobiles.
The two telecom companies established partnership at the Strategic Cooperation Framework Agreement in 2011 and have worked together in developing network technologies, providing mobile roaming services and conducting marketing activities.
As the main telecom operator of the 2018 Winter Olympics, KT pledged to share the 5G network technology that it will demonstrate for the first time in the world at the Olympics for the Chinese company once Beijing is chosen to host the 2020 Winter Olympics.
To that end, the two chairmen agreed to jointly push for the early standardization of the 5G network and launch the VoLTE roaming service between the two companies within this year.
Hwang also visited the exhibition booths of Chinese network equipment makers including Huawei and ZTE at the MWC Shanghai and attended demonstrations of the 5G network devices.
At the MWC Shanghai, KT subsidized five local startups to participate in the international fair and set up their exhibition booths to promote their services and products. The telecom company has worked with the Gyeonggi Creative Economy Innovation Center in Seongnam, southeast of Seoul.
The five venture enterprises include safe driving system developer GT, earset maker Haebora, smart sensor develop Ulala Laboratory, smart home technology company VTOUCH and iris recognition technology firm Irience. At the MWC Shanghai 2015, the startups have already signed memorandum of understandings (MOU) with Chinese companies and venture capitals, KT said.
“It is meaningful that these promising startups have achieved visible results such as signing MOUs and winning investment deals at the MWC Shanghai 2015,” Hwang said. “As they have proved it’s possible to have a successful entrance in the global market, KT will continue to provide support local startups to become more competitive.”