NTT Docomo and SK Telecom (SKT) called for greater coordination between equipment vendors and operators on ways to reduce energy consumption in 5G networks, as they published the first results of a technical collaboration struck in 2022.

In a joint report, Docomo and SKT argued closer ties between vendors and operators would contribute to delivering more energy-efficient 5G networks with improved capabilities than individual initiatives would achieve.

The operators also suggested the industry develop a common understanding on the measurement methods of equipment, KPIs for energy consumption, and process for introducing features and equipment in commercial networks.

In a separate report exploring potential 6G networks, Docomo and SKT argued operators and vendors must start considering future standardisation of the technology earlier to ensure open RAN is available by default.

The evolution of 5G towards 6G requires extending automation across the entire network to reduce human intervention. They addedĀ 6G network functions and platforms should be designed to be cloud-native.

Docomo and SKT reviewed some of the requirements and challenges of 6G, including specific performance levels and implementation scenarios, focusing on technical issues of particular importance to mobile operators.

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