Now Corp. taps South Korea’s SK Telecom for 5G technology services

NOW Corporation has tapped South Korea’s SK Telecom to assist the Philippine company in rolling out 5G technology services, Now said Monday, October 28, 2019. The partnership was signed in Manila, on Thursday October 24, 2019. Present during the signing were Shim Sang-soo, vice president and head of Infra Business Office of SK Telecom, NOW Corporation chairman Dr. Thomas Aquino, and NOW Telecom chairman Mel V. Velarde. Now Corp.

NOW Corp. has teamed up with South Korean telecommunications firm SK Telecom in rolling out fifth-generation (5G) wireless technology services, publicly listed Now said Monday.

As a strategic partner, SK Telecom will provide Now with the latest technologies and consulting services for the entire process of 5G commercialization.

“5G is said to unleash gigabit of speeds and it is said to spur growth in the enterprise sector, most especially in the areas of internet of things (iOT) and smart cities,” said NOW Corp. chairman Thomas Aquino, noting this direction will “grow Now in new horizons.”

NOW Telecom, an affiliate of Now Corp., will leverage on the expertise of SK Telecom to build an advanced telecom network.

SK Telecom will assist NOW in producing a more defined business strategy for executing programs in next five to 10 years.

“As a strategic partner, SK Telecom will provide support for NOW in the area of 5G development, commercialization and quality advancement and optimization. This relationship also extends to advisory in the deployment of telecommunications networks which include technology and vendor selection,” NOW said.

The partnership was signed last Thursday, October 24, and was attended by SK Telecom vice president Shim Sang-soo, NOW Corp. chairman Aquino, and NOW Telecom chairman Mel Velarde.

“Imagine the kind of compelling customer experience enjoyed by Koreans from 5G to arrive on our shores by the flick of a finger. That’s what this collaboration is all about,” Velarde said.

Through NOW Telecom, Now Corp. in June announced plans to offer 5G wireless technology which would usher in speeds of up to 20 gigabits per second (Gbps).

Last month, NOW Telecom secured regulatory approval from the National Telecommunications Commission to extend its authority to operate as a telecommunications network.

SK Telecom claims to be the top 5G provider in South Korea after launching its commercial 5G services in April.

“SK Telecom will now work closely with NOW to achieve 5G network innovation to deliver greater value to NOW customers,” said Shim Sang-soo. —Jon Viktor Cabuenas/VDS, GMA News