Samsung Electronics and NTT Docomo collaborate on AI research in mobile communications

Samsung Electronics teamed up with NTT DOCOMO, Japan’s largest mobile carrier, in August to jointly research the application of AI in next-generation mobile communications technology.

As AI technology expands across various industries and 6G communication becomes in earnest standardized, this collaboration aims to utilize the two companies’ extensive technical expertise and business knowledge to accelerate AI research in communications.

The partnership will not only improve network quality but also establish a foundation for the market’s transition into the 6G era.

The technology under research and development by both companies is poised to significantly enhance service quality for users and network operational efficiency for service providers.

Currently, communication quality optimization is conducted at the cell site level of mobile communication base stations. Moving forward, the goal is to achieve user-level optimization through the application of AI. For example, users entering areas between cell boundaries or areas with weak signals will be able to stream videos without interruptions and access more stable communication services.

“I believe this technological cooperation between the two companies will speed up AI-powered innovation in the telecom industry, and it will realize the common vision for future communications such as 6G,” said Takaaki Sato, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at NTT DOCOMO.

“The joint research with NTT DOCOMO will play an integral role in developing AI technology for communication systems,” said Paul (Kyungwhoon) Cheun, President, Chief Technology Officer at Samsung Electronics and Head of Samsung Research. “By merging the technical capabilities and expertise of both companies, we will create synergy for next-generation communication technologies.”

Samsung and NTT DOCOMO have a long history of collaboration in mobile communication technology standardization within the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).¹ The companies intend to leverage this joint technology research as an opportunity to deepen their cooperation and continue to work together for the advancement of future communication technologies.

¹ 3GPP is dedicated to developing the global unified technical specifications for mobile communications.