SK Telecom (017670.KS), South Korea's largest mobile carrier, said Thursday it has jointly published a white paper with NTT Docomo, Japan's largest mobile operator, outlining key technical requirements and a development roadmap for the evolution of virtualized radio access networks (vRAN) and the implementation of AI-RAN (AI-based radio access networks).
The white paper was developed based on both companies' experience in building and operating mobile networks. It analyzes the advancement potential of virtualized base stations and AI-RAN from a mobile carrier's perspective, covering related technical requirements, core implementation technologies and their expected benefits. The paper aims to accelerate the development of these technologies through strengthened collaboration between mobile carriers and equipment manufacturers.
The two companies presented three key technical requirements for maximizing the effectiveness of virtualized base stations and AI-RAN. First, they emphasized a clear separation of hardware and software to accelerate the introduction of new functions. They also highlighted the need for "resource pooling" technology, which integrates distributed computing resources into a single pool to improve efficiency, enabling flexible infrastructure deployment and better resource utilization. This technology can expand base station capacity and improve power efficiency while maintaining service quality. Additionally, implementing AI computing functions using virtualized base station systems was cited as a major task.
The two companies plan to continue their technical cooperation across various areas, including strengthening 5G competitiveness and efficiency, as well as 6G standardization and technology verification. "This white paper is highly significant in that it presents the key elements needed to maximize the benefits of virtualized base station deployment and to evolve toward autonomous networks from a mobile carrier's perspective," said Ryu Tak-ki, head of network technology at SK Telecom. "We hope that the outcomes derived through our close cooperation with NTT Docomo will contribute to the advancement of next-generation global mobile networks and the expansion of the ecosystem."
Masafumi Masuda, senior vice president and head of radio access network design at NTT Docomo, said, "Based on the cooperation between two leading mobile carriers representing East Asia, we will share innovative technologies and concepts with the global market and contribute to realizing the 6G era."