Verizon 5G efforts could leverage KT’s millimeter wave technology
Verizon Wireless plans to work closely with Korea Telecom as part of its effort to lead the development of a “5G” standard. Korea Telecom announced the partnership this weekend, and said the two carriers will cooperate to expedite 5G standardization and commercialization.
The United Nations International Telecommunications Union has set a goal for 5G standardization by 2020, meaning the technology may not even be fully defined until then. However, there are a few technologies that are widely expected to be part of 5G, including the use of millimeter wave spectrum. According to the Korea Times, KT’s millimeter wave expertise is of great interest to Verizon Wireless.
KT is also likely to be one of the first carrier to actually launch a 5G network for consumers. Even though the standard probably won’t be finalized in time for the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, KT has said it will debut 5G at the event. In announcing its ambition to a launch a 5G network in 2018, KT said it saw massive multiple-input/multiple-output antenna technology with beamforming, software-defined networking, network functions virtualization and virtualized radio access networks as part of 5G.
The new alliance follows Verizon Wireless’ February announcement of an alliance with KT, SK Telecom and NTT DoCoMo to develop an aligned 5G trial specification designed to serve as a common platform for radio interface trial activities. The companies said at the time that technical trials would start this year.
Verizon Wireless and KT are also partners in an LTE-Broadcast alliance. LTE-Broadcast technology is designed to enable multiple end-user devices to share a single multimedia stream.
Verizon Wireless has invited KT executives to its 5G test facility in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, where the carrier recently demonstrated network speeds of up to 1.8 gigabits per second using fixed wireless point-to-multipoint technology.
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