The news, announcing by Samsung on Monday, will allow the South Korean company to increase its foothold in telecoms equipment.
Samsung manufactures in South Korea and Vietnam, rather than China, while 5G modem chips are produced in the US. This has allowed it to escape the same level of scrutiny Huawei has faced to become a global player in 5G network equipment.
In September, Samsung launched its indoor 5G equipment portfolio and announced a $6.6 billion 5G contract with Verizon. It is also scheduled to start mass production of its V-NAND memory chip out of South Korea in H2 of this year.
Commenting on the contract with NTT Docomo, Satoshi Iwao, VP and head of network division at Samsung Electronics Japan, said: "We are pleased to be part of DOCOMO’s 5G networks and look forward to continued collaboration in advancing 5G innovation for their customers.
“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.”
DOCOMO provides high-quality wireless network service to nearly 82 million users across Japan.
“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, GM of the radio access network development department 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," Abeta added.
