Continuing its efforts to support the emergence of a strong 5G network ecosystem, Samsung has announced a collaboration with Nokia to ensure compliance of the respective vendors' product portfolios with 5G network specifications.
Both companies agree that the transition to 5G networks will largely depend on the mobile industry's ability to create solutions that are compatible with products from different vendors and responsive to a rapidly growing number of new uses.
Frank Weyerich, executive vice president of Mobile Networks Products at Nokia, said:
"Cooperation between suppliers is fundamentally important, as it will enable the emergence of new types of business and industries within the framework of fifth generation mobile networks. The joint interoperability testing between Nokia and Samsung is an important step towards making 5G technologies work across networks and devices and will support the rapid market uptake and success of 5G technologies.”
The two companies established mutual cooperation at the beginning of last year and since then have already completed the first phase of interoperability testing. Currently, the primary goal is to ensure compliance with Verizon's 5GTF technical specifications and Korea Telecom's SIG specifications, and Samsung and Nokia will continue lab testing throughout 2017.
Engineers from both companies will focus on ensuring mutual compatibility and performance parameters for Samsung's 5G Customer Premise Equipment (CPE), which provides connectivity within 5G networks in homes, and Nokia's AirScale technology used in mobile broadcasting stations. The devices are expected to be deployed in markets such as the US and South Korea during 2017 and 2018, with global commercial deployment of 5G networks expected by 2020.
