SK Telecom has teamed up with Alcatel-Lucent's research arm, Bell Labs, to develop post-4G wireless and smart networking technologies.
Under an MoU signed in Seoul last week, the companies say they will work towards defining the shape of the wireless networks that will replace 4G, and the applications running on them.
They research agreement also involves developing self-optimization methods for complex networks, and technologies - such as cloud computing - which can be applied to operator networks within the next three years.
SK Telecom will collaborate on technologies such as interference control, network automation and virtualization, with the aim of optimizing network transmission and reducing maintenance costs, said SK Telecom senior vice president Jae Wan Byun.