KT Corp. Debuts New 5G Services at MWC 2019 - Seite 2

KT deployed the first phase of its 5G network in late November 2018. The new service has been launched in the greater Seoul metropolitan area, in the country's most populated, major metropolitan cities outside the capital city and in isolated areas including Jeju, Ulleung and Dok islands. Korea's leading telecom company plans to expand its nationwide 5G network to 24 major cities, key transport routes such as expressways, subways, high-speed railways, large universities and neighborhood shopping areas.

A commercial 5G network in South Korea is expected to create at least 30.3 trillion won in socioeconomic value in 2025, 1.5 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP), according to a report released last year by the KT Economic and Management Research Institute). The report forecasts that number will increase to at least 47.8 trillion won, 2.1 percent of GDP, in 2030.

KT and Nokia Agree to Collaborate on 5G Future

As the global leader in 5G, KT is actively seeking to expand collaborations with innovative ICT companies around the world. Its 5G Open Lab (https://5GOpenLab.com), a collaborative testbed, has already attracted major local and global corporate partners, including Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Mobis, Posco, Intel, Ericsson and Nvidia. KT plans to forge 1,000 partnerships by 2020. It also has signed agreements with Cisco, Intel and Qualcomm to cooperate in preparing commercial 5G services.

On the sidelines of MWC 2019, KT and Nokia on February 24 signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on various 5G technologies, including NFC and network slicing, in order to develop new applications and business models for the operator's enterprise customers. The joint work, which will take place in Seoul later this year, includes Service Orchestration and Assurance for the 5G era, with the aim of delivering end-to-end automation and new revenue opportunities.

"We are excited to partner with Nokia to conduct these path-breaking trials," said KT Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Jeon Hong-Beom. "This collaboration will ensure that we are able to leverage Nokia's proven solutions and best-in-class professional services to provide a superior and differentiated experience to our subscribers."

Bhaskar Gorti, President of Nokia Software, said, "With Korea, one of the lead countries in the early deployment of 5G, we are delighted to be working with KT to help them build a future-ready network. Nokia's end-to-end portfolio will empower KT to improve its customer experience and network efficiency."