BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today a contingent
of mobile communications companies announced their collective
support for the acceleration of the 5G New Radio (NR)
standardization schedule to enable large-scale trials and
deployments as early as 2019. AT&T, NTT DOCOMO, INC., SK
Telecom, Vodafone, Ericsson, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., British
Telecom, Telstra, Korea Telecom, Intel, LG Uplus, KDDI, LG
Electronics, Telia Company, Swisscom, TIM, Etisalat Group, Huawei,
Sprint, Vivo, ZTE and Deutsche Telekom will support a corresponding
work plan proposal for the first phase of the 5G NR specification
at the next 3GPP RAN Plenary Meeting on March 6-9 in Dubrovnik, Croatia.
The first 3GPP 5G NR specification will be part of Release 15 –
the global 5G standard that will make use of both sub-6 GHz and
mmWave spectrum bands. Based on the current 3GPP Release 15
timeline the earliest 5G NR deployments based on standard-compliant
5G NR infrastructure and devices will likely not be possible until
2020. Instead, the new proposal introduces an intermediate
milestone to complete specification documents related to a
configuration called Non-Standalone 5G NR to enable large-scale
trials and deployments starting in 2019. Non-Standalone 5G NR will
utilize the existing LTE radio and evolved packet core network as
an anchor for mobility management and coverage while adding a new
5G radio access carrier to enable certain 5G use cases starting in
2019. The new proposal and the intermediate milestone also
re-affirm and solidify the schedule for the complete standard,
including Standalone 5G NR in Release 15.
The supporting companies are further committed to make forward
compatibility a key design principle for the standardization of the
first release of 5G NR. This will enable in-band introduction of
new capabilities and features in subsequent releases critical to
enabling yet to be identified industries and use cases and
achieving the 5G vision to connect everything to everything.
The proposal is consistent with 3GPP's commitment to enable a
flexible evolution and inter-working of the radio access network
towards 5G NR and the evolution of the core network towards the 5G
System.
As proven by the broad Industry support, this proposal delivers
the ability to address the increasing global demand for enhanced
mobile broadband services with 5G NR in 2019, while continuing to
address the broader vision for 5G NR in 2020 and beyond.
AT&T
"We support both the Standalone and Non-Standalone
configurations of 5G New Radio," said Tom
Keathley, senior vice president- wireless network
architecture and design, AT&T. "Our focus is on prioritizing
important specifications in the standards to bring 5G to market as
quickly as possible. In the process of defining any standard, it is
normal to make some decisions earlier than others. These
accelerated decisions on key components of 5G New Radio standards
will allow an earlier start on the development of the
infrastructure and devices of tomorrow's 5G deployments."
NTT DOCOMO, INC.
Seizo Onoe, executive vice
president and chief technology officer, NTT DOCOMO said, "5G is the
key enabler to create new business opportunities across industries.
DOCOMO plans a commercial launch with Non-Standalone 5G NR by 2020.
Acceleration of the standardization schedule will facilitate early
implementation of the standard-compliant 5G NR. We will ensure the
highly-stable 5G services through large-scale trial activities with
a wider range of industry partners."
SK Telecom, Co. Ltd.
Park Jin-hyo, senior vice president, head of network
technology R&D center, SK Telecom said, "As the demand for 5G
commercialization is rapidly increasing, it is crucial to complete
globally agreed 5G standardization in time. 3GPP NR is the global
5G standard and we are making continuous efforts to accelerate 3GPP
NR standardization with partners."
Vodafone Group
Luke Ibbetson, head of research
and development and strategy, Vodafone Group, said,
"Standardisation of the New Radio interface will be critical to the
successful development of 5G over the coming years. As the industry
starts to design and test a new generation of services and
applications, a common global standard for the underlying mobile
technology will allow innovation to flourish and help us achieve
economies of scale."
Ericsson
Arun Bansal, senior vice
president and head of business unit network products, says, "The
faster we commercialize 5G based on 3GPP specifications, the faster
we will realize its benefits for the entire industry. We are
thrilled to participate in this initiative to accelerate the 5G
ecosystem and commercial deployment."
Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
Cristiano Amon, executive vice
president, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., and president, QCT said,
"5G NR technologies will be critical to meet the ever-increasing
connectivity requirements for emerging mobile broadband experiences
such as virtual reality, augmented reality and connected cloud
computing, and we are already seeing the need to bring these
technologies to devices globally sooner rather than later. There is
great value in accelerating the timeline to commercialization,
while maintaining the global scale through the proper
standardization process in 3GPP."
British Telecom
Howard Watson, chief executive
officer, BT TSO, noted, "By accelerating the creation of the new
radio interface we will be able to enable the 5G experience for
customers sooner driving our purpose of using communications to
make a better world".
Telstra
Mike Wright, group managing
director networks, Telstra, said, "Telstra is committed to the
benefits of industry standardization and the development of this
intermediate milestone for 5G NR would allow the benefits of early
launch of 5G in the 2019 timeline following extensive pre-5G
testing planned by Telstra during 2018."
Korea Telecom, Co. Ltd.
"We are pretty encouraged by the increasing voices heard within
the telecom industry that the process of New Radio Specification
should be expedited," said YongGyoo Lee, senior vice president
–network strategy, Korea Telecom. "KT views that Non-Standalone and
Standalone modes are equally important for the sake of completeness
of the Standard Specification. However, we believe that early
introduction of 5G network, compensated by already-prevailing LTE
coverage, is a reasonable approach for the operators when taking
the ROI factors into the consideration, and it justifies the slight
preference for NSA mode in terms of priority. Our view is that 5G
is not just the matter of achieving higher data speed. Rather, we
believe that it will completely turn around the way the
communication service is provided to the customers and eventually
open up the opportunity for the telecom operators to diversify the
new revenue streams in a cost-effective way. I am sure that the
whole industry will enjoy the benefits from quick introduction of
5G into the market, enabled by the acceleration of 5G NR
Specification in 3GPP."
Intel Corporation
Asha Keddy, vice president and
general manager of next generation standards, Intel Communications
and Devices Group, says, "Intel is committed to accelerating the
roll out of 5G from the cloud to the network to the device. Global
industry collaboration to accelerate the 3GPP NR standard is a
lynchpin to making 5G a worldwide success and to scale. 5G is a
true inflection point in technology and will transform our lives
and society in ways far beyond previous connectivity standards, and
as such, the ability to solidify a global standard is more critical
than ever."
KDDI Corporation
Yoshiaki Uchida, managing
executive officer, technology sector, member of the board, KDDI
Corporation said, "For rapid commercialization of 5G, forming an
ecosystem by global harmonization including frequency bands and
specifications is even more crucial than in the previous
generations. KDDI is targeting to start 5G services in 2020, which
mandates early completion of NR specification. We sincerely hope
the acceleration of related 3GPP activities."
LG Electronics
Go-Hee Choi, senior vice
president, head of advanced standard R&D Lab, said, "LG
Electronics believes that the early completion of 5G NR global
standardization would be crucial in satisfying growing market
demands for new innovative 5G experiences and making 5G a worldwide
success. We fully support the initiative for 5G NR global
acceleration and will make every effort to expedite the completion
of 5G NR specification in 3GPP based on global partnership."
Telia Company
Mauro Costa, director, network
architecture and strategy, Telia Company says, "A global standard
is a fundamental pre-requisite to make 5G a success and open up for
innovation and new business opportunities. Considering the large
and increasing 5G interest from our customers, we see a strong need
to have the standard to progress fast and complete on time. The
acceleration of the 3GPP NR standard is an essential step in this
direction."
Swisscom
Daniel Staub, head of joint
mobile group, Swisscom and in charge of the 5G implementation said, "As a European
technology leader, Swisscom wants to get 5G early. Swisscom is
fully committed to standards. Therefore, a proprietary or
close-to-standard implementation is not of interest to Swisscom. As
a consequence, Swisscom is fully supporting 5G NR acceleration to
always provide the best experience on the best network to our
customers."
Etisalat Group
Hatam Bamatraf, chief technology officer, international said,
"Etisalat Group is committed to the accelerated development of 5G
that meets a global standard. Such a standard will have a positive
impact on efficiency and the quality of the services we can deliver
to our customers. Being part of this collective effort from the
industry to take forward 5G NR, reflects Etisalat Group's open
approach to partnership and our focus on innovation."
Huawei
"5G will usher in an era of deep convergence between telecom and
vertical industries, meaning 5G standards will apply to multiple
scenarios and enable the digital transformation of multiple
industries." Mr. Yang Chaobin, president, Huawei 5G, said, "We need
to define a Future-Proof 5G architecture which combining innovative
achievements from various industries, to meet the requirements of
numerous applications step by step and then to ensure the strategic
vision and leading capabilities of 5G."
vivo
Yujian Shi, senior vice
president, vivo said, "Both Non-Standalone and Standalone 5G NR are
very important scenarios. A unified 5G standard for both scenarios
has contribution to build up a global 5G ecosystems. The
acceleration of 5G will help the earlier mature of 5G terminal
industry. As a global terminal vendor, we will continuously create
surprising to our customers in coming 5G era. "
ZTE
Xu Huijun, chief technology
officer, ZTE, said, "As a global leader in telecommunications and
information technology, ZTE sees the significant importance of 3GPP
standard beneficial to whole industrial chain and keeps
contributing actively to global standards. ZTE will work together
with partners to push forward 5G test and trial steadily, to
promote the 5G commercialization world widely."
Deutsche Telekom
"Deutsche Telekom is committed to this initiative to accelerate
the availability of standardized 5G technologies to meet the
evolving broadband demands of our customers," says Bruno
Jacobfeuerborn, chief technology officer, Deutsche Telekom. "The
early availability of standards will enable smooth evolution paths
towards the next generation of communications, provide the basis
for extensive pre-testing activities and generate confidence in the
benefits and potential of the new technology for the entire
industry."
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) helps millions around the globe connect
with leading entertainment, business, mobile and high speed
internet services. We offer the nation's best data network* and the
best global coverage of any U.S. wireless provider.** We're one of
the world's largest providers of pay TV. We have TV customers in
the U.S. and 11 Latin American countries. Nearly 3.5 million
companies, from small to large businesses around the globe, turn to
AT&T for our highly secure smart solutions.
Additional information about AT&T products and services is
available at about.att.com. Follow our news on Twitter at @ATT, on
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AT&T, the Globe logo and other marks are trademarks and service
marks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated
companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of
their respective owners.
About NTT DOCOMO
NTT DOCOMO provides innovative, convenient and secure mobile
services that enable smarter living for each customer. The company
serves over 72 million mobile customers in Japan via advanced wireless networks,
including a nationwide LTE network and one of the world's most
progressive LTE-Advanced networks. DOCOMO is a leading developer of
a 5G network that it plans to deploy by 2020, as well as network
function virtualization (NFV), NFC infrastructure and services,
emerging IoT solutions, and more. Outside Japan, the company is providing technical and
operational expertise to seven mobile operators and other partner
companies, and is contributing to the global standardization of
all-new mobile technologies. DOCOMO is listed on stock exchanges in
Tokyo (9437) and New York (DCM). Please visit
https://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/english/.
About SK Telecom
Established in 1984, SK Telecom is the largest mobile operator
in Korea by both revenue and number of subscribers. As of
December 2016, the company holds
around 50 percent of the market, with 29.60 million mobile
subscribers including 21.1 million LTE subscribers. It has reached
KRW 17.092 trillion in revenue in
2016.
SK Telecom has led the advancement of mobile technologies
ranging from 2G to 4G, and is currently setting important
milestones in its journey to 5G. The company is not only leading
innovation in the field of mobile network, but also providing IoT,
media, home and platform services.
SK Telecom is determined to play a significant role in the
Fourth Industrial Revolution by achieving innovations and promoting
shared growth with other players in the industry.
For more information, please visit www.sktelecom.com/en or
contact skt_press@sk.com.
About Ericsson
Ericsson is a world leader in communications technology and
services with headquarters in Stockholm,
Sweden. Our organization consists of more than 111,000
experts who provide customers in 180 countries with innovative
solutions and services. Together we are building a more connected
future where anyone and any industry is empowered to reach their
full potential. Net sales in 2016 were SEK
222.6 billion (USD 24.5
billion). The Ericsson stock is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm
and on NASDAQ in New York. Read
more on www.ericsson.com.
About Qualcomm
Qualcomm's technologies powered the smartphone revolution and
connected billions of people. We pioneered 3G and 4G – and now we
are leading the way to 5G and a new era of intelligent, connected
devices. Our products are revolutionizing industries, including
automotive, computing, IoT, healthcare and data center, and are
allowing millions of devices to connect with each other in ways
never before imagined. Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing
business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio.
Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated,
operates, along with its subsidiaries, all of our engineering,
research and development functions, and all of our products and
services businesses, including, our QCT semiconductor business. For
more information, visit Qualcomm's website, OnQ blog, Twitter and
Facebook pages
About Telstra
Telstra is a leading telecommunications and information services
company. We offer a full range of services and compete in all
telecommunications markets in Australia, operating the largest mobile and
Wi-Fi networks. Globally, we provide end-to-end solutions including
managed network services, global connectivity, cloud, voice,
colocation, conferencing and satellite solutions. We have licenses
in Asia, Europe and the
United States and offer access to more than 2,000 points of
presence across the globe. For more information visit
www.telstra.com.
About Korea Telecom
KT is leading the development of the ICT industries of Korea
since its foundation in 1981. Being a formerly state-owned firm, KT
is South Korea's first telephone
company and dominates the local landline and broadband business. It serves roughly 90% of
the country's fixed-line subscribers and 45% of high-speed internet
users.
Since the merger with its wireless subsidiary KTF back in 2009,
KT expanded its business scope and included mobile communication as
its main service. Its mobile subscriber base totals around 18.9
millions as of the end of 2016 and about 75% of it, that is,
roughly 14.2 millions are LTE subscribers.
KT also has keen interests in introducing the most innovative
technology to the market and hence providing the best service
quality to the customers. As an official partner for PyeongChang
Winter Olympic Games in 2018, KT is committed to provide the
telecommunication service for the event and more specifically will
showcase the world-first 5G trial service during the Games.
For more information, you can visit at www.kt.com/eng/.
About Intel
Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) expands the boundaries of technology to make
the most amazing experiences possible. Information about Intel can
be found at newsroom.intel.com and intel.com.
About KDDI Corporation
KDDI, a comprehensive communications company offering fixed-line
and mobile communications services, strives to be a leading company
for changing times. For individual customers, KDDI offers its
mobile communications (mobile phone) and fixed-line communications
(broadband Internet/telephone) services under the brand name au,
helping to realize Fixed Mobile and Broadcasting Convergence
(FMBC). For business clients, KDDI provides comprehensive
Information and Communications services, from Fixed Mobile
Convergence (FMC) networks to data centers, applications, and
security strategies, which help clients strengthen their
businesses. For more information please visit
http://www.kddi.com/english.
About LG Electronics
LG Electronics, Inc. is a global leader and technology innovator
in consumer electronics, mobile communications and home appliances,
employing 77,000 people working in 125 locations around the world.
LG comprises four business units ― Home Appliance & Air
Solutions, Mobile Communications, Home Entertainment and Vehicle
Components. Especially, LG Mobile Communications is a global leader
and trend setter in the mobile and wearable industry with
breakthrough technologies and innovative designs. By continually
developing highly competitive core technologies in the areas of
display, battery, camera optics and LTE/LTE-A technology, LG
creates handsets and wearables that fit the lifestyles of a wide
range of people all over the world. LG is seeking to provide a
playful mobile experience that extends beyond the scope of
traditional smartphones. For more news and information on LG
Electronics, please visit www.LG.com.
About Telia Company
We're Telia Company, the New Generation Telco. Our 21 000
talented colleagues serve millions of customers every day in one of
the world's most connected regions. With a strong connectivity
base, we're the hub in the digital ecosystem, empowering people,
companies and societies to stay in touch with everything that
matters 24/7/365 - on their terms.
Headquartered in Stockholm, the
heart of innovation and technology, we're set to change the
industry and bring the world even closer for our customers.
For more information, please contact our press office +46 771 77
58 30, visit our Newsroom or follow us on Twitter
@Teliacompany.
About Swisscom
Swisscom, Switzerland's leading
telecoms company and one of its leading IT companies, is
headquartered in Ittigen, close to the capital city Berne.
Swisscom's international activities are concentrated mainly in
Italy, where its subsidiary
Fastweb is one of the biggest broadband providers. More than 21,000
employees achieve a revenues of CHF 11.64
billion to the end of 2016. Swisscom is one of the most
sustainable companies in Switzerland and Europe.
About TIM
TIM Group is Italy's leading
ICT company, supporting the country's "Digital Life". TIM's offer
is built on top quality and maximum dissemination of convergent
services and premium content relying upon innovative
infrastructures, a vast choice of APPs and devices, tailored and
modular solutions, both for retail and business. The three-year
business plan 2017-2019 provides for approx. 11 bln. euros in
investments in Italy, of which
circa 5 bln. euros to accelerate UBB networks development. By 2019,
TIM targets to cover 95% of households with fibre and 99% of the
population with 4G.
About Etisalat Group
Etisalat Group is one of the world's leading telecom groups in
emerging markets. Etisalat's current market cap is over 132 billion
AED (36 billion USD). With reported
net revenues of AED 51.7 billion and net profit of AED 8.3 billion
for 2015, Etisalat ranks amongst the most profitable telecom groups
in the world. Its high credit ratings at AA-/A+/Aa3 reflect the
company's strong balance sheet and proven long-term performance.
Headquartered in Abu Dhabi,
Etisalat was established four decades ago in the UAE as the
country's first telecommunications service provider. An
international blue-chip organisation, Etisalat Group provides
innovative solutions and services to 163 million subscribers in 17
countries across the Middle East,
Asia and Africa. Etisalat Group's mission is to
provide a best-in-class total customer experience domestically and
internationally, deliver attractive returns to shareholders while
investing in the long-term future of the company, and supporting
economic development in all the markets we operate in.
About Huawei
Huawei is a leading global ICT solutions provider. As a
responsible and robust business player, innovative information
society enabler, and cooperative industry contributor, Huawei is
committed to building a Better Connected World. Through our
dedication to customer-centric innovation and strong partnerships,
we have established end-to-end capabilities and strengths across
carrier, enterprise, consumer, and cloud computing domains.
Huawei's 170,000 employees worldwide create maximum value for
telecom operators, enterprises and consumers. Our innovative ICT
solutions, products and services have been deployed in over 170
countries and regions, serving more than one-third of the world's
population. Founded in 1987, Huawei is a private company that is
fully owned by its employees. For more information, please visit
Huawei online at www.huawei.com.
About vivo
vivo is a fast-growing world leading smartphone brand. The
company is one of the top 3 smartphone vendors in China. More 100 million users from
China and South-east Asia are enjoying exciting mobile broadband
lives with vivo smartphone. vivo creates products for energetic,
trendy, pleasure-seeking young urbanites, combining extraordinary
appearance, professional-grade audio, and a fast and smooth user
experience. At vivo, we are firmly dedicated to pursuing true
perfection, while continuously creating the surprising. Additional
information about vivo products is available at
http://www.vivoglobal.com.
About ZTE
ZTE is a provider of advanced telecommunications systems, mobile
devices, and enterprise technology solutions to consumers,
carriers, companies and public sector customers. As part of ZTE's
M-ICT strategy, the company is committed to provide customers with
integrated end-to-end innovations to deliver excellence and value
as the telecommunications and information technology sectors
converge. Listed in the stock exchanges of Hong Kong and Shenzhen (H share stock code: 0763.HK / A
share stock code: 000063.SZ), ZTE's products and services are sold
to over 500 operators in more than 160 countries. ZTE commits 10
per cent of its annual revenue to research and development and has
leadership roles in international standard-setting organizations.
ZTE is committed to corporate social responsibility and is a member
of the UN Global Compact. For more information, please visit
www.zte.com.cn.
About Deutsche Telekom:
Company profile
Qualcomm Contacts:
Pete Lancia, Corporate
Communications
Phone: 1-858-845-5959
Email: corpcomm@qualcomm.com
John Sinnott, Investor
Relations
Phone: 1-858-658-4813
Email: ir@qualcomm.com
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SOURCE Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.