Ericsson has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with KT, South Korea's leading telecoms provider, for collaboration on technologies related to next-generation networks, during Mobile World Congress 2015 in Barcelona, Spain.

In the MoU, Ericsson and KT agree to explore collaboration in the fields of research and development in 5G wireless communication and relevant business.

The two companies selected collaboration items to lead the 5G evolution, including: standardization, spectrum strategy, network architecture and deployment scenarios, and massive connectivity for the Internet of Things (IoT).

"5G will be a key component in the industry's movement toward the Networked Society. KT is an early driver of technology, and we believe that the collaboration with KT will provide benefits to users and to industries. With ultra-high bit rates of more than 10 Gbps, we will deliver radio network capability of more than 1,000 times today's LTE networks," said Thomas Norén, Vice President and Head of Radio Product Management, Ericsson.

Even before signing the MoU, the two companies have worked closely together to prepare for the era of 5G, for example by successfully verifying heterogeneous network carrier aggregation technology, a key element of 5G, in November 2014.

Ericsson leads or is active in approximately 150 industry for a, standardization bodies and global research activities such as METIS and 5G-PPP. Ericsson is one of the key players in defining the next generation of network technologies, all the way from research through to standardization and commercialization.