DOCOMO and Nokia have been collaborating since May 2014 to develop radio access technologies for future 5G mobile networks. In the trial on 19 May 2016, the transmission of 8K ultra HD video was achieved by a combination of an experimental system jointly developed by the firms, and H.265/HEVC encoding techniques developed by NTT Media Intelligence Laboratories. The 8K video steam running at 48Gbps — a bit rate four times greater than 4K video and 32 times than full HD — was compressed by the encoder into signals ranging from 145Mbps to 85Mbps and successfully transmitted without delay.

DOCOMO says that it will further collaborate to lead research and development for future 5G mobile communications and transmission of even higher definition video. For his company’s part, Nokia vice president and general manager, 5G business line, Glenn Booth, remarked: “We are excited to be collaborating with DOCOMO to shape 5G and show how this technology can be used to dramatically enhance the delivery of services such as video. We will continue to leverage our expertise and work with industry leaders including DOCOMO to drive further innovation in the industry.”