SK Telecom said today that it has signed an agreement with Nokia, a Finnish telecom equipment maker, to cooperate for R&D on W-CDMA, or wideband code division multiple access, technology.
In the agreement, SK Telecom and Nokia agreed to join hands to develop standards for overriding system and interface and radio network optimization tools. The two companies will have equal rights to the results of their joint R&D efforts.
SK Telecom expects that the alliance with Nokia will enable it to secure the core W-CDMA technology and acquire W-CDMA engineering know-how critical to the next generation network operation, allowing it to become a leading player in the area of IMT-2000.
Bergqvist, Vice President of Nokia, said, "Combining Nokia’s technical know-how in IP communications and GSM with SK Telecom’s experience and capacity concerning CDMA network operation will provide Nokia and SK Telecom with a competitive edge that will allow the two companies compete successfully in the global markets," and added that he believed that the alliance had large potential.
He predicted that the alliance will provide an advantageous position for Nokia based on which it will supply its W-CDMA systems, network management tools and terminals to the world’s service providers.
For the agreement, SK Telecom and Nokia had sought ways to cooperate in W-CDMA since last August and signed an MOU in January this year.
SK Telecom and Nokia will open a research institute for joint R&D and start working on the technology during the second quarter this year.