KT, the second largest mobile operator in South Korea, announced Ericsson as a key supplier of 5G network equipment, with nationwide commercial service expected to launch early next month.

The three mobile operators in the country joined forces to simultaneously turn on their 5G networks at midnight on 1 December, launching what they claimed were the world’s first commercial 5G services based on 3GPP standards.

But the services had limited coverage and were only available for businesses using mobile routers. The operators are now targeting launching 5G commercial services for consumers in April.

Under the contract, Ericsson is supplying 5G New Radio hardware and software to cover KT’s 3.5GHz non-standalone (NSA) network.

Jinho Choi, VP of access network design at KT, said: “Having worked successfully with Ericsson on LTE, we are pleased to continue that partnership to make our 5G ambitions a reality with Ericsson’s leading 5G technology.”

Patrick Johansson, head of Ericsson Korea, said the company worked closely with KT to show the world what 5G could do during the Winter Olympics in 2018, adding: “With 5G we aim to help KT to take their customers’ experiences to new levels, whether through enhanced mobile broadband for consumers, or helping to make national and global IoT and Industry 4.0 opportunities a reality for enterprises and industries.”

KT deployed LTE equipment from Samsung, Ericsson and Nokia.

In September 2018, market leader SK Telecom announced Samsung, Ericsson and Nokia as its suppliers for 5G gear.