Vodafone announces new partnerships for 5G future

Operator will team with Huawei, Nokia, Ericsson, Intel and Qualcomm Technologies to research the next generation connectivity

Vodafone has partnered with a number of leading network firms to carry out research into 5G technology.

The operator will work with Huawei, Ericsson, Intel, and Qualcomm to develop an industry standard for the next generation of mobile connectivity.

In a blog on Vodafone’s website, it outlined five major areas of research into 5G that it will carry out ahead of its expected launch in 2020.

• evaluate which 5G technologies will be introduced as industry standards;
• test hardware and software in Vodafone Group’s UK Innovation Labs;
• conduct trials on Vodafone’s radio and core networks in selected global markets;
• test and evaluate a wide range of 5G technologies and services; and
• prioritise the benefits of 5G that can be brought to market by 2020.

Vodafone Group chief technology officer Johan Wibergh: “The telecoms industry is still establishing what technology will deliver the benefits we expect from 5G, so it is important to establish dedicated research programmes with these leading global companies.

“We expect 5G to radically enhance the speed, resilience and intelligence of mobile networks, enabling Vodafone customers to remain confidently connected as their usage of mobile data increases.”