SK Telecom and Rohde & Schwarz will develop next-generation antenna technologies.

The Korean telecom giant signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Rohde & Schwarz, a Germany-based manufacturer of test and measurement equipment for mobile radios and radio communications.

Joint research and development will generate synergies in the development of next-generation network technologies. And with these technologies, we will continue to provide our customers with high quality services,” said Choi Jin-sung, head of ICT R&D Division at SK Telecom.

SK Telecom and Rohde & Schwarz will create a testbed for Active Antenna System (AAS), a core technology in the next-generation antenna system, for performance verification.

AAS can be applied to all types of networks including LTE-Advanced. It is capable of increasing the number of radio channels between a base station and handset by several times to tens of times.

As per the deal, Rohde & Schwarz will provide SK Telecom with signal generator (SMW200A, SGS100A) and radio network analyzer (TSMW).

In line with its SUPER Cell concept, SK Telecom has been focusing on research and development of next-generation antenna system since 2011 to dramatically improve data speeds. In particular,

“We hope that our joint efforts will serve as a basis for the development of the most innovative network technologies that will drive further evolution of telecommunications network,” said Christian Leicher, COO of Rohde & Schwarz.

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