SK Telecom and NTT DOCOMO, INC. announced their joint release of two white papers, one on energy-efficient 5G mobile networks and related technologies and the other on requirements for future 6G networks.

The release of the white papers is the first outcome of a basic agreement that SKT and DOCOMO signed last November to explore opportunities for technical collaboration on next-generation telecommunication infrastructure technologies for 5G evolution and 6G.

Regarding 5G mobile networks, the white paper reviews the following:

  • Opportunities to achieve greater power savings based on energy consumption levels measured in the two companies’ respective base stations
  • Technical analysis of candidate power-saving technologies, including both hardware and software
  • The roles that operators and equipment vendors should play, including the need for greater coordination, in the effort to achieve greater power savings.

For 6G, the paper reviews requirements and challenges including specific performance levels and implementation scenarios, focusing on technical issues of particular importance to mobile operators:

  • Performance requirements and implementation scenarios for each frequency band, taking into account the characteristics of each frequency
  • Issues concerning coverage and devices in high-frequency bands
  • Standards for migration to 6G architecture and application of cloud-native/open architecture.

Going forward, SKT and DOCOMO will continue to collaborate in various technical fields, aiming to enhance the competitiveness and operational efficiency of 5G as well as support the global standardization and technical verification of 6G. They will also collaborate with global telecom operators on 6G standardization and R&D with the goal of building a global ecosystem that encompasses advanced industries and technologies.

Meanwhile, SKT is leading efforts to build early 6G ecosystem, participating as contributors to ‘6G Requirements and Design Considerations’ published by the NGMN Alliance on February 14, 2023.

“The white papers carry a significant meaning as they mark the first tangible result since entering into a strategic partnership with NTT DOCOMO last year,” said Yu Takki, vice president and head of Infra Tech Office of SKT. “Based on our experience and knowhow in 5G, we will continue to collaborate with world-leading operators such as NTT DOCOMO to lead 5G evolution towards 6G.”

“We are delighted to jointly announce two white papers on green mobile networks and 6G requirements as our collaborative achievements with SK Telecom started in November 2022,” said Takehiro Nakamura, chief technology architect, DOCOMO. “We will continue to enhance cooperation among the two major Asian mobile operators and promote superior concepts and innovative technologies to the world for the 6G deployment.”