Nokia And NTT DOCOMO Pave The Way For 5G

Cooperate on 5G research and innovation to develop and validate next-generation mobile broadband technology

Nokia announced recently that the company and NTT DOCOMO INC. have agreed to collaborate on research and standardization of 5G technologies and to work jointly on a 5G proof of concept (PoC) system. This move builds on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the two companies in January 2014 to research future radio access experimental systems.

To meet the demand for extreme capacity and performance, future 5G networks will need to overcome the challenges that will become relevant for operators, such as guaranteeing cell-edge rates in excess of 100 Mbps and reducing latency by a factor of 10. Nokia’s hands-on innovation approach builds on existing cutting edge technologies, enabling the transition towards higher bandwidths and super fast mobile broadband.

“We chose Nokia as our partner for the 5G research project based on its clear vision as well as its extensive mobile broadband experience and technology leadership,” said Dr. Seizo Onoe, Chief Technology Officer at NTT DOCOMO.

The two companies will continue to cooperate on the research of future radio access systems, with an initial focus on exploring the potential of the millimeter wave technology at the 70 GHz spectrum band. The experimental 5G PoC system will be implemented using National Instrument’s (NI) baseband modules which make up the state-of-the-art system for rapid prototyping of 5G air interfaces today.

“Expanding our cooperation with NTT DOCOMO on 5G radio technology is an important step towards defining future mobile networks,” said Hossein Moiin, executive vice president and chief technology officer, Networks. “Future wireless networks will interconnect not just humans but also machines and objects, creating a vibrant overlay of virtual and physical worlds with a huge variety of use cases. Together with the industry, we need to make sure that 5G technology offers the right tenets to serve these use cases flexibly and profitably.”

Nokia and NTT DOCOMO have a successful three-year history of cooperative research on various technologies and standards, including collaborative work on 3G and LTE from its early stage. Their work supported LTE global market development with projects conducted in NTT DOCOMO’s research labs in Europe and Japan. With its Technology Vision 2020^* for future mobile networks and active participation in worldwide research and standardization of 5G technologies^**, Nokia has the expertise to support operators on their path to next-generation mobile broadband.

About Nokia
Nokia invests in technologies important in a world where billions of devices are connected. We are focused on three businesses: network infrastructure software, hardware and services, which we offer through Networks; location intelligence, which we provide through HERE; and advanced technology development and licensing, which we pursue through Technologies. Each of these businesses is a leader in its respective field.

Through Networks, Nokia is the world’s specialist in mobile broadband. From the first ever call on GSM, to the first call on LTE, we operate at the forefront of each generation of mobile technology. Our global experts invent the new capabilities our customers need in their networks. We provide the world’s most efficient mobile networks, the intelligence to maximize the value of those networks, and the services to make it all work seamlessly. For more information, visit www.nsn.com or http://company.nokia.com.

^* Nokia is implementing a hands-on innovation approach to enable mobile broadband networks to profitably deliver 1 gigabyte of personalized data per user per day by 2020. With our Technology Vision 2020 for future mobile networks, we are helping operators deal with extreme traffic growth, simplify network operations and provide the ultimate personal gigabyte experience.

^** Nokia is actively participating in worldwide research and standardization of 5G technologies. For example, the company is a major contributor and heading the HetNet stream in the EU-funded 5G flagship project, METIS, which defines the basis of the 5G system. Dr. Werner Mohr, head of research alliances at Networks business of Nokia, was elected to chair the 5G PPP Association that will further develop 5G technology to prepare for the future standardization of the system. Nokia is also active in other regions. The company has signed a bilateral collaboration agreement on 5G/IMT-2020 with China Academy of Telecom Research, and in the US, Nokia has signed a multi-year collaboration agreement with New York University.

Nokia was also jointly hosting 5G Brooklyn Summit together with NYU WIRELESS research center at the Polytechnic School of Engineering at New York University. The 2014 Brooklyn 5G Summit brought together wireless/mobile industry R&D leaders in academia and business along with the NYU WIRELESS industrial affiliate member companies to explore the future of 5G wireless. This inaugural event will be an annual forum to discuss trends, aimed at discovering “what’s hot and what’s not,” and what will be the best ways to take the first steps towards understanding and framing the world’s 5G wireless technology.