Samsung to supply equipment for advanced 5G network to KDDI

Samsung Electronics won a contract from Japanese telecom company KDDI to supply equipment designed to support a more advanced mode of 5G network, the electronics maker announced Thursday.

Neither the size nor the duration of the deal were provided, though a Samsung Electronics executive called the agreement a “long-term collaboration” in a statement.

The Korean company will offer core equipment for a standalone version of 5G connectivity, a mode with faster data processing and less latency than a non-standalone 5G.

The non-standalone is considered the initial stage of 5G, deploying a 5G radio access network overlaid on an existing 4G LTE network core. Standalone 5G, however, uses a 5G access network on a 5G network core, which allows for quicker data processing.

Still, many countries migrating to 5G are dependent on the non-standalone version, including Korea.

Both Samsung and KDDI expressed high expectations.

“We strive to provide the best mobile experiences to our customers through network innovation, and our advanced 5G SA network will offer immense capabilities,” said Toshikazu Yokai, the managing executive officer at KDDI.

“With Samsung’s 5G SA Core, we will offer unprecedented speed, instantaneous connectivity and high reliability which could bring numerous new experience value for consumers and enterprises. We look forward to continuing to advance 5G networks to stay ahead of our customers’ needs.”

Samsung Electronics expects that the two parties will continue to expand their partnership.

“KDDI has been at the forefront of opening up the next frontier of 5G services, and we are proud to see our long-term collaboration deepen with new opportunities as we drive continuous innovation and realize our technology vision together,” said Lee June-hee, executive vice president and head of global sales and marketing at Samsung Electronics.

“We look forward to continuing our collaboration with KDDI to reshape the 5G services landscape in Japan and achieve new 5G milestones.”

BY PARK EUN-JEE [park.eunjee@jooongang.co.kr]