Optus partners with Nokia for 5G testing

Optus is putting skin in the 5G game by partnering with Nokia to trial the new spectrum.

The two companies will collaborate to develop a 5G trial using Optus' 3500MHz spectrum, with an early prototype expected to launch by next year.

"Through this partnership, the commencement of joint studies and in-lab and in-field testing, we are primed to explore this technology," Singtel chief technology officer Tay Soo Meng said.

"As we look ahead, Optus will explore new network architectures and use case trials with a specific 5G focus. We are also preparing the network across transport and core networks, through virtualised network functions and cloud infrastructure."

Optus said it had already conducted tests on a new 5G radio test bed for Nokia's radio access platform AirScale.

The two companies said they would also work to promote a global standardisation and industrialisation for 5G and explore new network architectures and applications.

Telco rival Telstra claimed in August it would be the first in Australia to test 5G using Ericsson's trial system. 5G networks are expected to arrive in Australia by 2020.