The three South Korean telecommunications companies will share 5G IoT-related technical specifications to support small and medium-sized enterprises.
South Korean telecommunications companies SK Telecom, KT, LG Uplus and the Korea Radio Advancement Association (RAPA) have signed an agreement to foster the capabilities of small and medium-sized manufacturers to develop 5G IoT products linked to telecommunications networks.
SK Telecom said in a statement that the deal aims to help small and medium-sized enterprises shorten the development time and reduce development costs for new 5G IoT products.
The company also noted that it currently takes at least two to three months for manufacturers’ products to pass quality testing by each telecommunications company.
SK Telecom also noted that while IoT devices are being used for remote control, safety management, environmental monitoring, and other purposes in a variety of fields, including digital manufacturing, cities, vehicles, and energy, many small and medium-sized enterprises are suffering from a “serious lack of verification infrastructure for individual products.”
Through this agreement, the three telecommunications companies have agreed to support SMEs by sharing 5G IoT-related communication network cooperation technical specifications, regularly providing information on each telecommunications company’s test environment, utilizing RAPA test results for telecommunications companies’ 5G IoT product inspection tests, and providing technical advice and consulting to SMEs. SK Telecom announced that this also includes technical consulting for 5G standalone, non-standalone, and 5G red cap terminals, parts, and antennas.
RAPA is also working to build a collaborative environment between the three telecommunications companies and SMEs through annual technology agreements and the establishment of an “IoT Technology Support Center.”
SK Telecom further stated that the three Korean telecommunications companies plan to step up technical guidance for small and medium-sized enterprises along with support for commercialization testing of IoT device hardware and software.
“It is urgent to activate win-win cooperation to support domestic SMEs in the hyper-connected 5G and 6G IoT fields in the AI era,” said RAPA Executive Vice President Song Jeong-soo. “Through this business agreement, RAPA will spare no effort in supporting our goal of becoming a bridgehead for win-win cooperation between large companies and SMEs in the 5G IoT field.”
Ryu Tak-ki, head of SK Telecom’s Infrastructure Technology Division, said, “As mobile communications continue to evolve into advanced 5G and 6G, we are entering an era of ‘hyper-connected AI infrastructure’ where AI is integrated into it. We will actively support South Korean small and medium-sized enterprises to grow into leading companies in the intelligent IoT industry and expand the ecosystem based on diverse products and services.”
