Samsung and SK Telecom Develop Next Gen. 5G Core, Based on 3GPP Rel. 16

SEOUL, Korea – November [23], 2020 – Samsung Electronics. Co. Ltd. and SK Telecom (Hereinafter referred to as "SKT") announced that the two companies successfully developed and trialed the next-generation 5G core network.

The next-generation core network enables operators to instantaneously install and swiftly deploy customized solutions and services. With this core network solution, operators will be able to utilize network resources more effectively. For instance, when the data traffic spikes, the operators will be able to move capacity to flexibly adapt to the sudden changes in their networks.  

In addition, the two companies plan to discover new 5G use cases through the enhanced capabilities to efficiently deploy, provision and activate the new applications. From AR/VR and cloud gaming to autonomous driving and smart factory use cases, Samsung and SKT are building advanced network capabilities to enable the delivery of these new immersive capabilities to consumers, and increase the accessibility and deployment ease of 5G for enterprises, with private 5G networks. 

“The next-generation cloud core network applied with SCP will increase customer benefits through accelerated adoption of 5G-based products and services,” said Jong-kwan Park, Vice President and Head of 5GX Technology Group of SKT. “We will continue to work closely with Samsung to develop breakthrough next-generation network technologies to realize innovative 5G use cases.”

“Samsung’s cloud native 5G core will enable operators to have flexible and reliable networks that will play a key role in delivering a myriad of 5G use cases,” said Wonil Roh, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Product Strategy, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “With SKT, Samsung will continue to develop cutting edge technology to enable more 5G use cases, as well as bring additional values to our enterprise customers.”

Samsung’s cloud native 5G core offers modularized and containerized Network Functions (NFs), enabling new services and features to be launched quickly in a commercial network, while reducing the operating costs. By improving agility and manageability in the network, new applications can be introduced more efficiently. The 5G core solution from Samsung allows SKT to upgrade its network more readily, ensuring it always has the latest features and capabilities.  

SKT has developed cloud native Service Communication Proxy (SCP), which enables operators to manage their 5G networks more effectively and efficiently. SCP intelligently controls communication of NFs based on traffic status and behavior. That is, it allows only necessary NFs to communicate with each other depending on the network traffic, thereby saving resources. Samsung and SKT have successfully completed the interoperability trial between SKT’s cloud native SCP and Samsung’s cloud native 5G core, and were able to prove that, with SCP, the communication efficiency among NFs have improved by 30%.

Samsung and SKT signed an agreement last year to jointly advance 5G and develop for the next-generation communications. The companies will continue to deliver the best class network services to users through collaborative development and commercialization of network technologies, devices, and smart solutions.  

Samsung Networks is a pioneer in the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions including chipsets, radios, and core network technologies. Samsung has been at the forefront of virtualized core (vCore) solution development for 4G and 5G, starting with the commercialization of 4G vCore in 2015 and 5G NSA vCore in 2018. Samsung is leading the path to commercialization of 5G SA core.

Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, digital appliances, network systems, and memory, system LSI, foundry and LED solutions. For the latest news, please visit the Samsung Newsroom at http://news.samsung.com.

SK Telecom is Korea’s leading ICT company, driving innovations in the areas of mobile communications, media, security, commerce and mobility. Armed with cutting-edge ICT including AI and 5G, the company is ushering in a new level of convergence to deliver unprecedented value to customers. As the global 5G pioneer, SK Telecom is committed to realizing the full potential of 5G through ground-breaking services that can improve people's lives, transform businesses, and lead to a better society.

SK Telecom boasts unrivaled leadership in the Korean mobile market with over 30 million subscribers, which account for nearly 50 percent of the market. The company now has 48 ICT subsidiaries and annual revenues approaching KRW 17.7 trillion.

For more information, please contact skt_press@sk.com or visit our LinkedIn page www.linkedin.com/company/sk-telecom.