South Korean operator KT reportedly opened talks over a business cooperation with MTS, to boost the Russian operator’s 5G rollout.

The Korea Herald stated chiefs from the two companies met last week to discuss the use of 5G in AI and smart home applications, among others. This included a visit to the Novotel Ambassador hotel in Seoul, where KT installed 5G-powered AI technology for hospitality services.

As one of the first operators in the world to launch 5G, KT will have gathered experience with the technology which would make it a valuable partner for a company following in its path.

MTS also has a 5G alliance in place with infrastructure vendor Ericsson, with the pair this year inking a “roadmap” for the 2019 to 2022 period, including the deployment of the first segments of a 5G network this year covering pilot zones and commercial clusters.

It has 78 million mobile subscribers in Russia, as well as around 27 million across Ukraine, Belarus and Armenia. It has set out a goal to become a “first in class digital services company”.

Earlier this year, it was reported several key Russian operators, including MTS, were pushing back on the creation of a 5G consortium intended to reduce deployment costs and favouring domestic equipment and infrastructure.