KT-Nokia, 6G Global Research Collaboration Agreement

KT-Nokia 6G Research Collaboration Agreement on the 8th
Cooperation in Open RAN Technology Development and Future Service Exploration

KT announced on the 8th that it signed a business agreement for 6G research cooperation with global mobile communication equipment manufacturer Nokia at the KT Research and Development Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul.

Ari Kinaslati, Vice President of Wireless Strategy and Technology at Nokia (left), and Jong-sik Lee, Director of KT Network Research Institute, are taking a commemorative photo after signing a business agreement. Photo by KT

Through this agreement, both companies will join forces to develop advanced Open RAN technology for 6G mobile communications and ultra-broadband wireless access technology using candidate 6G frequencies. They will also prepare for discovering future services based on 6G and infrastructure innovation.

KT explained that this cooperation aims to "secure global leadership in the standardization and commercialization of 6G mobile communications."

6G, also known as 'IMT-2030,' is currently undergoing active work on frequency, vision, and framework (structuring) by global technology standard organizations such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). In particular, 3GPP recently decided at its general meeting to complete the standard specifications (Release 21) necessary for the development of 6G commercial networks and terminals by 2029.

Lee Jong-sik, head of KT's Network Research Institute, said, "KT expects to lead the development of mobile communication technologies directly connected to future cloud and AI through this 6G partnership with Nokia."

Ari Kinaslati, Vice President of Nokia's Wireless Strategy and Technology, stated, "Through joint research on core 6G technologies, AI integration, and next-generation communication architectures such as Open RAN, we expect to secure technological superiority for both KT and Nokia."