BT And Nokia Strike 5G Research Deal

BT and Nokia have signed a research collaboration agreement together to work on next generation 5G technologies.

Both companies say they went to work on finding potential customer use cases for emerging 5G networks, and will collaborate on proof of concept trials for 5G.

“Nokia is delighted to be working with BT in laying the foundations for 5G adoption in the coming years, and in helping define how this technology will enable exciting and innovative experiences,” said Nokia UK head Cormac Whelan.

Speed

5G networks should offer customers faster speeds and lower latency, and will become especially pertinent through the Internet of Things over the next decade. Commercial 5G networks will offer speeds of at least 1Gbps, and have 1,000 times more capacity than 4G networks.

Such speeds would allow for the simultaneous streaming of data-heavy content such as virtual reality or live 360 degree video to any device, while greatly reduced latency would mean real-time engagement between remote users and systems, said Nokia. This is essential for consumer applications such as mobile gaming and major technology advancements like driverless cars.

Nokia aims to demonstrate its 5G networks over the next year, and is aligned with much of the industry for a 2020 rollout of the technology.

With BT, Nokia will focus on trials that include mmWave radio and convergence, as well as potential commercial services including ultrafast mobile broadband, mission-critical services and the Internet of Things.

Howard Watson, CEO of BT Technology, Service & Operations, said: “Our EE mobile business already boasts the biggest 4G network in the UK, which is set to cover 95 per cent of the country by 2020. We will build on that foundation to develop the next generation of LTE-Advanced Pro and 5G services over the next few years.

“It’s still early days for 5G technology, but experience tells us that a collaborative approach is key to success. We’re delighted to be working with Nokia to drive a common approach to 5G, and to develop exciting use cases which bring together our combined experience in fixed and mobile technologies.”

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