Singapore’s Singtel and Sweden’s Ericsson on January 27 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on testing technologies for future 5G network deployments. 
The MoU covers the exploration of potential 5G network standards and likely applications to meet future demand from consumers and industries, while the Singtel/Ericsson venture will specifically study how next-generation mobile platforms can support Singapore’s ‘Smart Nation’ ICT vision.
The teams from Singtel and Ericsson will study candidate 5G technology standards including network architecture supporting Massive Machine Type Communications (MTC) and a cloud-based network, with commercial launches envisaged for 2020, the press release added.
Ericsson is not the only tech vendor the telco is partnering to explore 5G possibilities, after Singtel also launched a 5G Joint Innovation Programme with China’s Huawei Technologies last November.
The Singaporean firm is also a member of the Next Generation Mobile Network (NGMN) Alliance, which is hammering out details of a 5G white paper setting forth parameters such as performance requirements, network architecture, spectrum and intellectual property rights; the NGMN paper will be presented at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in March this year.
Read more: Telegeography
