BASKING RIDGE, N.J. - The 5G Future Forum, the global industry group focused on driving rapid adoption of 5G and Multi-access Edge Computing (“MEC”), today announced their call for new members, specifically targeting mobile network operators. The application period began on April 6, 2021.

The 5G Future Forum (5GFF) was established in January 2020 by América Móvil, KT Corp., Rogers, Telstra, Verizon, and Vodafone to develop 5G interoperability specifications to accelerate the delivery of 5G and MEC solutions around the world.

The 5G Future Forum focuses on the global service delivery and the interoperable availability specifications to improve speed to market for developers and multinational enterprises working on 5G-enabled solutions. The Forum’s work will support development of public and private marketplaces to enhance developer and customer access to the global 5G ecosystem, and facilitates sharing of global best practices in technology deployment.

In August of 2020 5GFF publicly released abstracts of its technical specifications for “MEC Experience Management” and “MEC Deployment”. The six member companies have adopted and continue to refine these specifications as they deploy 5G and MEC into their respective networks to deliver the new innovative 5G services in an efficient, seamless, and assured manner.

New members will gain access to existing specification documents and the opportunity to contribute technical input as additional specifications are developed. Network operators interested in joining the 5GFF should visit https://www.vodafone.com/business/5g-future-forum by the April 26th deadline.

Executive Quotes:

“The 5G Future Forum has made important progress in developing specifications that are accelerating the 5G and MEC ecosystems,” said Rima Qureshi, Chief Strategy Officer, Verizon. “We look forward to welcoming new members to 5GFF, as wider adoption of the specifications will benefit our customers and the entire industry.”

“Edge computing will be a catalyst for innovation across industries, delivering new solutions and allowing businesses to rethink how they work” said Vinod Kumar, CEO of Vodafone Business. “To truly unlock this important part of the 5G ecosystem, ease of use across geographies and devices is vital. New members of the 5G Future Forum will help to continue the progress toward this goal.”

“America Movil is pleased to welcome the inclusion of new members to the 5G Future Forum, we believe this will enhance and accelerate the work we have developed to bring more innovation to the MEC ecosystem and the 5G Network,” said Ángel Alija Guerrero, COO of América Móvil. "By accelerating a mature 5G environment and achieving its benefits, it will be possible to reach a larger number of industries and subscribers, and this requires a joint effort by the entire Telecommunications sector, therefore it is important for the 5G Future Forum to invite additional members.”

“When uncertainties are rampant, a breakthrough can provide a beacon of opportunities previously untapped,” said Jae-ho Song, CDXO of KT Corporation. “With a bolstered ecosystem of expanded partnerships, KT believes the 5G Future Forum will play a pivotal role in establishing the global edge market that drives innovation, collaboration and competition among ecosystem players.”

“Rogers is proud to be a founding member of the 5G Future Forum and we are dedicated to helping accelerate the delivery of 5G and MEC at a global scale,” said Jorge Fernandes, Chief Technology Officer at Rogers Communications. “As we continue to lead the roll out of this next generation technology across Canada, we remain focused on building our robust 5G ecosystem with strategic investments, cutting edge technology and world-class alliances such as the 5G Future Forum. We look forward to welcoming new members to the Forum who will provide additional perspectives and best-practices on the optimal strategies for successfully deploying 5G and MEC.”

“Collaborating with a strong and global ecosystem of partners – including service providers, cloud providers, technology partners and large enterprises – is crucial to bringing MEC to life and unlocking a range of new applications that will prove vital for economic momentum in these uncertain times.  By combining our 5G leadership and capabilities, the 5G Future Forum members will foster and develop new technologies that can be deployed and utilised in the most efficient and cost effective way possible,” said Nikos Katinakis, Telstra Group Executive Networks & IT.