Chunghwa Telecom Co (中華電信) on Tuesday signed cooperation agreements with Ericsson AB and Nokia Oyi at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, as the nation’s biggest telecom aims to accelerate its deployment of fifth-generation (5G) wireless networks in Taiwan.
Chunghwa Telecom signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Swedish telecom equipment supplier Ericsson for a joint 5G pilot project, one day after it signed an MOU with Finland-based Nokia aimed at launching 5G networks at designated sites this year and next year to realize its pre-commercialization plan for 2020.
The agreements were signed after Chunghwa Telecom’s inauguration of its CHT Pilot Team for the Taiwan 5G Alliance on Jan. 29 to accelerate the deployment of the next-generation mobile wireless network technology, which would be capable of handling data 100 times faster than 4G technology.
Chunghwa Telecom president Sheih Chi-mau (謝繼茂) said the company plans to build a trial 5G network at the Chunghwa Telecom Laboratories in Taoyuan to verify key 5G technologies and applications services, as well as interoperability between 4G and 5G networks.
Several telecoms and system vendors are showcasing their 5G devices, experimental networks and 5G applications related to “smart” homes, the Internet of Things and the Internet of Vehicles at the four-day technology fair.
MediaTek Inc (聯發科), Huawei Technologies Co (華為) and Qualcomm Inc have all either rolled out new IC products or 5G-related solutions.
Chunghwa Telecom said its cooperation with Ericsson and Nokia would enable consumers to experience 5G services, connect local industries to their international counterparts and create new business opportunities.
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