Korean operator SK Telecom says it has managed the world’s first standalone 5G data session on a multi-vendor commercial 5G network.
Single vendor set-ups are increasingly out of fashion within the telecoms world, with the traditional wariness regarding vendor lock-in combined by geopolitical uncertainty that threatens to compel the exclusions of certain vendors that shall remain nameless. Therefore this is a very important step for 5G as well as another opportunity for South Korea to virtue-signal about how cutting-edge it is when it comes to 5G.
SK Telecom added New Radio (NR) software to its existing non-standalone (NSA) 5G base stations and achieved interoperability between equipment from Ericsson and Samsung.
“With the successful standalone 5G data call on our multi-vendor commercial 5G network, we are now standing on the brink of launching standalone 5G service, a key enabler of revolutionary changes and innovations in all industries,” said Park Jong-kwan, Head of 5GX Labs at SK Telecom. “SK Telecom will offer the best 5G networks and services to realize a whole new level of customer experience in the 5G era.”
