Samsung Electronics has been chosen as a 5G network solution provider for Japan’s No.1 mobile operator NTT Docomo, the Korean tech giant said Tuesday.

Samsung will support Docomo with its 5G technology, including O-RAN-compliant solutions, to bring enriched 5G services to Japanese users and enable digital transformation for businesses, it said.

Docomo is Japan’s leading mobile carrier that has nearly 82 million users across the country. It launched 5G services in March last year.

This is the first time that Samsung is supplying 5G network equipment to Docomo. In Japan, the company had signed a deal with second-biggest carrier KDDI.

“As a leading mobile operator, our goal is to provide our customers the best possible services for creating innovative, fun and exciting experiences and finding solutions to social issues,” said Sadayuki Abeta, general manager of the radio access network development at NTT Docomo. “We are excited to collaborate with Samsung for the next phase of 5G Open RAN and accelerate the expansion of our ‘Lightning Speed 5G’ coverage in the nation.”

“The agreement between NTT Docomo and Samsung is significant,” said Stefan Pongratz, vice president at Dell’Oro. “NTT DOCOMO has a history of being at the forefront with new and innovative technologies and this announcement cements Samsung’s position as a major 5G RAN supplier.”

Samsung has been seeking partnerships with mobile carriers across the world to expand its presence in the telecom equipment market since the launch of 5G.

The company recently landed 5G network equipment deals with Canada‘s SaskTel and New Zealand’s Spark, too.

Samsung has been providing 5G end-to-end solutions -- from chipsets, radios to core -- including fully virtualized RAN and artificial intelligence-powered automation tools.

“We are pleased to be part of Docomo’s 5G networks and look forward to continued collaboration in advancing 5G innovation for their customers,” said Satoshi Iwao, vice president and head of the network division at Samsung Electronics Japan. “Our goal is to leverage Samsung’s technical leadership to bring the best network solutions to mobile operators around the world, so they can deliver the next generation of transformative 5G services and electrifying user experiences.”

By Song Su-hyun (song@heraldcorp.com)