Agreement between the South Korean telco and the European vendor will run until 2020
Swedish telecom equipment vendor Ericsson and South Korean mobile operator LG Uplus, have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on the development of “5G” and “Internet of Things” technologies.
The terms of the agreement stipulate the deal will initially run until 2020. The MoU covers four key areas: IoT infrastructure, including narrow-band LTE; software-defined networking and network-function virtualization to make the core network 5G ready; global content delivery networks; and IoT-Advanced technologies.
Ericsson and LG Uplus said they will establish technology and frequency strategies and jointly work together to prepare a roadmap for long-term network development. The companies will cooperate in a broad range of areas including research, testing and result sharing, as well as the development of technology and equipment.
“By enabling essentially unlimited access to information anywhere and anytime, 5G can deliver enormous benefits to people, business and society. Realizing this transformative vision requires a strong industry ecosystem, we are delighted to partner with LG Uplus to lead the development of both 5G and IoT platforms,” Ericsson’s CTE Ulf Ewaldsson said.
Kim Suntae, LG Uplus’ CTO, said, “We will prepare for the 5G era based on a combination of our network management know-how and Ericsson’s strong technological power. The two companies will lead network evolution by introducing advanced network technologies to domestic and overseas markets through close collaboration.”
LG Uplus has offered LTE-A nationwide since July 2013, through network infrastructure provided by Swedish vendor Ericsson.
The operator ended the second quarter of 2015 with 9.1 million subscribers in the LTE segment, up from 7.8 million subscribers in Q2 2014.
According to the telco’s latest quarterly report, LTE technology accounted for 79% of its overall subscriber base. By the end of 2014, LTE represented 75% of LG Uplus’ overall customer base.
LG Uplus, fully owned by LG Corp., is South Korea’s third-largest mobile operator behind SK Telecom and KT Corp.
RCR Wireless News recently took a close look at Ericsson 5G initiatives, including a test device operating in the company’s Texas office, as well as an interview with Hakan Andersson, head of 5G strategy for Ericsson’s radio business unit.
