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The South Korean mobile operator said it would co-develop new technologies alongside the Finnish equipment vendor, focussing on the next generation of wireless technologies
Today, LG U+ has announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nokia that will see the pair combine their R&D efforts towards 5G Advanced and 6G.
As part of the agreement, the duo will work on a wide variety of technologies, aiming to improve mobile network coverage and bandwidth.
Nokia and LG U+ have a long history of working together, having already done so for both the operator’s 4G and 5G networks. LG U+ also currently uses 5G network equipment from Samsung, Huawei, and Ericsson.
“The technological collaboration between the two companies in 4G and 5G network technologies will be enhanced in 5G Advanced and 6G,” said Ahn Tae-ho, head of Nokia Korea. “We are expecting that the collaboration will help test and develop future wireless network technology, and would eventually speed up the commercialisation of the service.”
According to reports, the companies will also collaborate on Open RAN solutions, as well as energy generation technologies that will be used to power wireless sensors.
Another area of interest more directly related to 6G is reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS), a technology currently in development that would allow for programmable structures that can change the electric and magnetic properties of their surface at will, thereby dynamically controlling the propagation of electromagnetic waves throughout an environment. Essentially, these surfaces can act as an intelligent mirror, helping to redirect the required radio waves to their intended target.
RIS is expected to become a standard technology for 6G and, as a result, LG U+ has already been working on the technology for some time, first demonstrating it in action in March this year with Nokia’s help.
“In order to achieve the level of service quality that can satisfy the clients, it is necessary to upgrade the 5G network while thoroughly preparing for 6G networks as well,” said Kwon Jun-hyuk, head of LG U+’s network unit.
