Intel joined US number one operator Verizon’s 5G Technology Forum, working together to “accelerate the development” of the next-generation wireless technology.

It will join the likes of Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco, Ericsson, Nokia, Qualcomm and Samsung which are working with Verizon to hold 5G field trials in 2016 in a bid to “accelerate the expected rate of innovation”.

Verizon is taking the lead among US operators with its 5G efforts. To date most 5G talk has been dominated by companies outside of the country.

The chip giant said it will “contribute to the development of 5G requirements and standards and conduct testing to optimise mobile broadband and Internet of Things (IoT) device architectures and network infrastructure to accelerate the introduction of 5G technology”.

According to Adam Koeppe, VP of technology planning at Verizon, the two companies are “preparing to usher in a new era of throughput, capacity and enhanced services.”

The two are also partnering on broader network transformation initiatives that will help the US operator optimise its network and enable next-generation network architecture.

Meanwhile, Intel is developing its own 5G test beds and is working in areas such as mobile broadband and IoT 5G devices, ultra-low latency response, high frequency small cells and mobile edge computing.

Verizon was also the first US operator to launch 4G LTE in 2010, and began testing the technology two years before its launch. The company said despite its new focus on 5G, it will continue to grow its LTE offering.

However, 5G does come with some challenges: an official definition and standard for the technology have not yet been defined and commercial launches are not expected before 2020.