SK partners with Now Telecom to launch 5G in The Philippines

Korean telco, SK Telecom, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Filipino carrier, Now Telecom, to launch 5G mobile network services in the Philippines.

The pair will establish a 5G network in the Filipino capital, Manila, according to a report by the Korea Times.

The Philippines’ President, Rodrigo Duterte, has been a long term advocate of fast tracking 5G as a way to galvanise the southeast Asian nation’s economy. The country recently created a third telco, Mislatel, to compete with the country’s incumbent operators, in a bid to inject some urgency and competition into the country’s 5G rollout plans.

"This partnership with SK Telecom will help produce a more defined business strategy for NOW and its execution programs for the next five to 10 years as the country begins to embrace 5G and its various applications," Now Telecom said in a statement to the press.

Under the terms of the MoU, SK Telecom will assist Now Telecom with producing a roadmap for 5G deployment, as well as designing the network infrastructure. The pair hope to be in a position to bring their first 5G offering to the Philippines by the first half of 2020.