Ericsson and the Chinese Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) said they plan to carry out joint research and development work in the area of 5G after signing a memorandum of understanding.
The Sweden-based equipment manufacturer, which like other leading industry players is already involved in other 5G research projects, said it hopes the project with the Chinese national ICT think tank will help speed up research into and standardisation of 5G technologies towards its commercialisation around 2020.
“We are very excited to be embarking on this new journey with CAICT towards the development of glob al 5G standards. Ericsson and CAICT have a long history of successful cooperation and we share the belief that mobile broadband technology benefits society by lifting productivity and the quality of life, and thereby contributing to sustainable development for all," said Ulf Ewaldsson, senior vice president and CTO of Ericsson.
The two parties have agreed to a mutual cooperation in 5G technology research covering key areas such as radio access technology, core network architecture and 5G application scenarios. They have also agreed to share information in the areas of convergence in vertical industries, industry transformation, applications, and eco-system development.
“CAICT is as committed as Ericsson to the international standardization of technologies through cooperation. We believe this is essential for achieving global economies of scale and fostering innovation. China, with a fledging ICT industry infrastructure and the world’s largest number of mobile subscriptions, will continue to be a vigorous driver of ICT innovation and sustainable growth,” said Cao Shumin, president of CAICT.
