06 April 2020

Korean operator SK Telecom said it has managed the world’s first standalone 5G data session on a multi-vendor commercial 5G network, with help from Ericsson and Samsung.

SK applied standalone new radio (NR) software to its existing non-standalone (NSA) 5G base stations, and completed multi-vendor interoperability between network equipment of the two vendors.

The operator has also applied key 5G technologies such as network slicing and mobile edge computing (MEC) to its standalone 5G network.

“With the successful standalone 5G data call on our multi-vendor commercial 5G network, we are now standing on the threshold 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.”