BT and Huawei are to conduct UK-based research and development work into new 5G technologies, and jointly push standards through industry specifications body 3GPP, the industry specifications body.
The pair said they will look specifically at work around network architecture, a new air interface, network slicing, machine-based IoT communications, and security technologies.
Research and development will take place at BT Labs in Ipswich’s Adastral Park as well as other locations around the UK.
Huawei restated its commitment to the UK, through research and development with UK-based industry and academia, despite the UK’s impending exit from the European Union.
Ken Hu, Deputy Chairman of the Board and rotating CEO at Huawei, commented: “The partnership demonstrates Huawei’s continued commitment to partnering with world-leading business and academic organisations in the UK to further research and development.
“We have operated in the UK for 15 years and we look forward to continuing to help build a better connected UK in partnership with BT.”
Huawei has a long history of collaboration with BT, as well as its mobile division EE. BT and Huawei claimed in October to have achieved fibre speeds of up to 3TBps in a field trial conducted between the Adastral Park research campus in Suffolk and the BT Tower in London.
They claimed in May to have hit 2TBps on a commercial fibre link between London and Dublin, using optical ‘super-channel’ technology provided by the China-based vendor.
Gavin Patterson, CEO of BT, said: “We are determined to maximise the potential of 5G for our customers, so collaborative research has a key role to play as the technology develops. This partnership with Huawei will see us explore the potential uses and make sure 5G is designed to meet the needs of our consumer and business customers throughout the world.
“Huawei and BT have a strong record of collaboration when it comes to developing cutting-edge communications technologies, and we’re pleased to be building on that relationship to pioneer tomorrow’s mobile services.”
Hu added: “We have conducted joint research and development activities [with BT] which have led to new products and solutions and with 5G we look forward to continuing this fruitful partnership. Together we can explore the potential of 5G networks and analyse how this vital technology can best be delivered.”