SK Telecom, Ericsson, and Qualcomm will conduct interoperability tests and field trials based on 5G New Radio (NR) standards together, the companies have announced.

The trials will be compliant to 5G NR specification, the standard set by globlal standard-setting body 3GPP, for the coming fifth-generation network.

It will drive the mobile ecosystem towards validation and commercialization of the standard in scale, SK Telecom said.

The companies will utilize wide bandwidths available at higher frequency bands that will help achieve gigabit per second data transfer rates.

Telcos are expected to use ultra-high frequncy bands for 5G networks for high data transfer rates.

Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antenna technology that meets the standard with adaptive beam forming and tracking techniques, which will allow sustained communications at higher frequency bands, will also be tested.

The tests will begin in South Korea in the second half of 2017. Designs for radio stations, equipment, and handsets have begun now.