Ericsson and Chunghwa Telecom, the largest telecom operator in Taiwan, have signed a cooperation memorandum for a joint 5G pilot project.
The idea is to demonstrate 5G capabilities and facilitate the development of 5G applications for industrial partners. The two companies aim to deploy a 5G network at designated sites at the beginning of 2019.
The joint project builds on a 5G Memorandum of Understanding signed by Ericsson and Chunghwa Telecom last year, and will accelerate the deployment of 5G in Taiwan. It will also help realise Chunghwa Telecom’s 5G pre-commercialisation plan for 2020.
According to Chi-Mau Sheih, President of Chunghwa Telecom, the trial network will use 3.5 GHz and 28 GHz frequency bands, test interoperability between 5G and 4G, and validate innovative applications. Chunghwa Telecom will enable consumers to experience 5G services, connect local industries to their international counterparts, and create new business opportunities.
Chris Houghton, Head of Market Area North East Asia at Ericsson, explains that ITU has pushed ahead with the standardisation, which means that Ericsson will be able to launch 5G network solutions earlier and support Chunghwa Telecom.
As a leading operator in Taiwan and an owner of a large-scale research institute, Chunghwa Telecom is an active member of international 5G organisations such as 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) and NGMN (Next Generation Mobile Networks).
