It was announced that Chairman Hwang Chang-kyu and Chairman Rajeev Suri of global manufacturer Nokia held a CEO meeting at the KT building and discussed cooperation plans for next-generation network technologies, including 5G pilot services to be showcased in Pyeongchang.

Since November 2015, KT and Nokia have formed the '5G Special Interest Group' with global manufacturers to establish the 'Pyeongchang 5G Standard' and develop equipment, and have been actively collaborating for the 5G pilot service to be showcased in Pyeongchang in 2018.

At the recent KT-Nokia CEO meeting, the two companies discussed ways to utilize the core technologies of the PyeongChang 5G pilot service, for which full-scale infrastructure construction will begin in October, and 5G network construction know-how for the development of new 5G technologies, and shared their detailed 5G commercialization plans that they have systematically prepared.

In addition, the two companies discussed ways to strengthen the solidarity of the 5G standards council even after the Pyeongchang 5G pilot service in order to accelerate the schedule for the commercialization of 5G based on the next-generation wireless access technology NR (New Radio). The two companies pledged to form a new working group to develop core network technology that will serve as the overall control tower for 5G networks, as well as 5G radio transmission technology, during standardization activities at global organizations such as the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) in the future.

At the meeting, Nokia stated that it hoped to expand its cooperative relationship with KT in the field of 5G wireless technology to the entirety of 5G, including core network technology, and proposed jointly developing Nokia's new 5G platform, which incorporates 'Virtual Network' technology—which enables the efficient construction of 5G networks by separating base stations and equipment into a virtual form—and 'Network Slicing' technology—which selects and distinguishes networks based on the services chosen by the user, and KT agreed to this.

KT Chairman Hwang Chang-kyu stated, “Since announcing its 5G vision in 2015, KT has led the field of 5G technology and fostered cooperation to complete 5G pilot services in PyeongChang,” adding, “KT plans to continue its efforts to commercialize the world’s first 5G by collaborating with major domestic and international manufacturers and small and medium-sized enterprises, so that South Korea can lead the 5G ecosystem.”