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UK vendor and Finnish vendor plan to work together on potential customer use cases for 5G technologies and more.
Rarely a week goes by without one operator or vendor linking up with another operator or vendor to announce a collaboration on 5G, and this week is no exception: BT and Nokia now say they plan to partner on 5G research.
In a release on BT’s web site, the telco and Finnish vendor said they will work together on potential customer use cases for 5G technologies, the creation of 5G proof of concept trials and the development of the emerging technology standards and equipment.
In detail, the companies said the trials will focus on the technology enablers for 5G including mmWave radio and convergence, as well as potential commercial services including ultrafast mobile broadband, mission-critical services and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Howard Watson, CEO of BT Technology, Service & Operations, stressed that BT’s new mobile unit EE fully intends to be at the forefront of 5G developments and would build on its existing 4G network to achieve that goal.
“It’s still early days for 5G technology, but experience tells us that a collaborative approach is key to success. We’re delighted to be working with Nokia to drive a common approach to 5G, and to develop exciting use cases which bring together our combined experience in fixed and mobile technologies,” Watson said.
Collaboration is certainly the name of the game when it comes to 5G, with many still trying to work out what 5G will actually bring. As things stand, the general view is that 5G will be far more than just an increase in mobile broadband speeds.
Defining 5G remains somewhat elusive, although Cormac Whelan, head of the UK & Ireland at Nokia, gave it a try:
“5G is the communications technology of the future, and it will transform how we communicate with each other, as well as communicate with devices and ‘things’. Nokia is delighted to be working with BT in laying the foundations for 5G adoption in the coming years, and in helping define how this technology will enable exciting and innovative experiences,” Whelan said.
As a first step in the collaboration, Nokia is currently conducting trials of its latest 5G-ready radio equipment at the BT Labs at Adastral Park, Suffolk in the UK. The two companies already enjoy a working relationship: Nokia supplies BT’s 21C core routing platform and both the BT/EE subscriber register infrastructure and part of the EE radio access network.
