SK Telecom of South Korea has signed an agreement with Samsung, HPE and Intel to develop an NFV (network functions virtualization) platform for its upcoming 5G NR Standalone (SA) deployment. These three vendors are increasingly mentioned in the same breath when it comes to cloud-based 5G, and all have a mutual interest in joining forces to raise barriers to entry to their individual competitors. For Samsung, leveraging cloud partnerships, an early move to vRAN, and the experience of working with the advanced MNOs in its homeland are all important tactics in raising its game against the big four network vendors. Meanwhile, Intel needs to fend off the challenge from ARM-based cloud and network processors, such as those from Marvell, while…