SK Telecom has signed an agreement with chip vendor Intel to develop a new virtualised base station.
The vRAN base station uses universal hardware like computer CPUs, loading all functions in the form of software.
The technology is capable of installing and deleting base station software, while offering better scalability by applying standard interfaces to base station functions.
SK Telecom ICT R&D Division executive VP and head Choi Jin-sung said the company has been making aggressive efforts to enhance its network structure by applying "cutting-edge" IT.
"Through this technical cooperation with Intel and successful development of the vRAN technology, we will take the lead in next-generation network evolution," Jin-sung said.
With vRAN, SK Telecom will be able to allocate base station resource based on the amount of traffic in order to provide better services from information collected by the base stations.
Additionally, the company is planning to improve R&D cooperation with global enterprises by participating in a Network Function Virtualization standardisation project in the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI).
