Alcatel-Lucent has signed a memorandum of understanding with South Korean
telecommunications provider, KT, under which the companies will collaborate to test
technologies for the eventual introduction of 5G mobile networks and infrastructure
capable of meeting the huge connectivity demands expected in the future.
DongMyun Lee, CTO and senior vice president of KT said, “KT recognises Alcatel-
Lucent as a global leader in vRAN and SDN. We are eager to use their vRAN and
SDN technology to help us implement the 5G architecture that we have defined in
our GiGatopia Vision.”
Amid the exploding demand today for data caused by smartphones and other mobile
devices, and increasingly via technologies such as ‘the Internet of Things’ and
machine-to-machine networks, 5G technology promises greater speeds, capacity
and flexibility, enabling mobile operators to meet the data demand in a highly
personalised way. It will also deliver a completely ‘untethered’ experience, enabling
people and connected devices to access any information from anywhere and in any
way they choose.
The scope of the agreement includes the development and testing of mobile ultra-
broadband access, network functions virtualisation (NFV) and software defined
networking (SDN) technologies for 5G network architectures and interfaces as well
as the driving of interworking and 3GPP standardisation activities.
Chi Il Yoo, head of Alcatel-Lucent Korea said, “Alcatel-Lucent has a long-history of
innovating to solve the world’s biggest communications challenges. We are fully
aligned with KT’s vision and committed to help KT in its strategic network evolution.
We see NFV technologies, such as vRAN as a vital step in this evolution and by
working with KT we are further underlining our leadership in this area.”
