Actively Seeking Allies
The MWC Shanghai, which is emerging as Asia's largest mobile exhibition, started at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) on July 15.
A total of 116 ICT companies and 97 mobile carriers around the world will attend the event, titled “Mobile Unlimited.” In particular, South Korea, China, and Japan are expected to compete to take the initiative this year in next-generation techs like IoT and 5G. Since those three countries are conducting psychological warfare to be the first to commercialize 5G, competition to lead 5G is likely to intensify through this event.
Three local mobile carriers are reportedly actively seeking global partners that can deliver 5G services, different from existing mobile telecommunications services, through MWC Shanghai 2015. As a result, much attention is being paid to the results of global partnerships for 5G.
KT, the nations' second-largest mobile carrier, built LTE-H WiFi infrastructure capable of delivering data transmission speeds three times faster than Wi-Fi at the venue, proposing a blueprint for GiGAtopia, a mobile environment connected through super-fast gigabit technology.
SK Telecom set up a largest booth to showcase its smart home and 5G techs, along with three local start-ups. With the opening of the event, the carrier also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Intel to cooperate on the research and development of 5G tech. SKT and Intel decided to develop a terminal that is usable and compatible in all communications networks in the belief that it is essential to develop this kind of terminal for 5G commercialization.
LG U+ forged a partnership with Huawei to lead 5G standardization. The two companies are planning to cooperate in overall networks, including the development of tech, equipment, and network solutions to prepare for the 5G era, which is expected to begin in earnest in 2020. The carrier is also going to demonstrate how to connect to its VoLTE service, a high-quality voice call service using LTE networks of mobile carriers.