Nokia and LG Uplus collaborate on 6G initiative

Finnish tech giant Nokia and South Korea-based LG Uplus have agreed to collaborate on 5G Advanced and 6G research projects and plan to focus on next-generation technologies including open LAN, power harvesting and non-terrestrial networks.

In a translated statement, LG Uplus said the joint research will explore new frequencies and expand existing network facilities for deployment in 6G.

To take advantage of the new frequencies, LG Uplus and Nokia plan to jointly research Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS), a next-generation antenna technology.

They also aim to study the terahertz wave RIS technology that is emerging as a 6G frequency.

Kwon Junh-yeok Kwon, EVP of LG Uplus Network Division, said that “careful preparation for the 6G network is necessary to ensure a level of quality that satisfies customers.”

Ahn Tae-ho, CEO of Nokia Korea, added that the cooperation “Open LAN and Cloud RAN”, both core technologies of 6G, “will help review the structure of future wireless technology and further contribute to the technology development that the… … …accelerated commercialization”.

Work on an open LAN will include open fronthaul, cloud RAN and intelligent WAN controllers, the operator said.

LG Uplus said an energy-harvesting technology that reuses wasted power will be deployed in 6G networks, with companies looking to liquid-cooling base stations.

Research into non-terrestrial networks aims to secure technologies to extend 6G service into space.

LG Uplus and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology recently conducted a network optimization study for low-orbit satellites using quantum computing technology.