Ericsson and China Unicom signed an agreement to collaborate on next-generation network technology, including focus on “5G,” the “Internet of Things” and cloud. The companies claim the agreement will help accelerate the development of next-generation network standardization and mature network infrastructure in an effort to establish cross-industry ecosystems and to foster innovation for new business.
Under the terms of the deal, Ericsson and China Unicom will cooperate on next-generation network architecture for fixed mobile convergence; cooperation on 5G standardization; research into key technologies and joint testing; studies of network visualization and 5G network slicing; and mobile cellular IoT network end-to-end solutions and services. The companies said they will also carry out joint promotion of software-defined networking projects in standardization groups and SDN solution verification.
The move is said to support China Unicom’s “Focus Strategy,” a commercial network evolution solution and low-cost coverage solution deployment and practice.
“As the transformation toward next-generation networks approaches, we hope to strengthen the partnership with Ericsson in technology and business development, especially in 5G, IoT and cloud,” said Guanglu Shao, VP at China Unicom.
Ericsson said it has announced more than 20 agreements to test 5G technology with operators across the globe, and that its 5G Radio prototypes, designed for operator field trials, are already achieving more than 25 gigabits per second speeds in tests.
In December 2015, Ericsson signed an agreement with China Mobile Research Institute to collaborate on 5G research and development as well as IoT technology. The agreement initially covers a five-year period, with the collaboration set to include verification, trial and standardization of a new 5G air interface for commercial deployment by 2020.
Vodafone India to reach 1,000 towns with LTE by end of 2016
In other APAC news, Indian mobile operator Vodafone India announced plans to expand its LTE services to three additional telecom circles, local press reported.
The telco expects to offer LTE services in 1,000 towns across the country by the end of this year. Vodafone India said the regions of Gujarat, Harayana, Uttar Pradesh East and West Bengal will be covered with LTE in the short term.
In an initial phase, Vodafone launched commercial LTE services in Kerala, Kamataka, Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi. The operator currently offers LTE service using spectrum in the 1800 MHz band.
Vodafone India is a fully owned subsidiary of Vodafone Group and launched operations in the Asian nation in 2007. The telco currently serves approximately 188 million subscribers across India.
