An international group of technology companies led by NTT Docomo agreed to establish a consortium to develop 5G services for enterprises, starting in Thailand and later expanding to other countries across Asia.

Founding members of the 5G Global Enterprise Solution Consortium (5GEC) include AIS, Fujitsu, NEC and a number of NTT affiliates, with additional partners to be welcomed in future.

In a joint statement, the group said it aims to be a one-stop supplier of private 5G systems and related managed services, capitalising on the key features of the technology, and targeting vertical industries including manufacturing and construction.

Initial trials are planned in Thailand in H2 with commercial launches in 2022.

The consortium will focus on expanding to other markets with a particular focus on Asia-Pacific where many manufacturing companies are exploring digital transformation.

5GEC said it will draw on Docomo’s experience in open RAN and open interfaces to support various mobile frequencies in each country, and provide enterprises with flexible and optimised private 5G networks.

Other members are Activio, AGC, Exeo Asia, Loxley and Mobile Innovation.