SK Telecom (SKT) announced on February 22 that it has successfully completed the conceptual verification of AI-based base station wireless transmission and reception technology for future 6G mobile communications in collaboration with NTT Docomo, NTT, and Nokia Bell Labs.
The developed technology incorporates AI into base station wireless transmission and reception technology in preparation for the 6G era, when the convergence of telecommunications and AI is expected to be in full swing, and applies AI models commonly used in vision AI to base station demodulation transmission and reception technology.
The existing system uses a separate control signal to measure the wireless environment during the transmission and reception periods, but the AI-based demodulation transmission and reception technology improves frequency utilization efficiency by minimizing the control signal load.
The four companies conducted related experiments not only in the channel emulator environment in the laboratory but also in the actual over-the-air (OTA) environment, and as a result of applying AI-based base station demodulation transmission and reception technology in the laboratory environment, they were able to confirm an average speed improvement of more than 10%.
This development is part of SKT's efforts to create new value by applying AI to all areas of its AI infrastructure, including wireless transmission and reception, as well as base station operation optimization and automation.
SKT has been collaborating with NTT Docomo on 6G since signing a strategic partnership with the company in 2022, and this time, a four-company collaboration system including NTT and Nokia Bell Labs has been established to develop core 6G technologies.
SKT and NTT Docomo will jointly exhibit and demonstrate the developments and results of the four-party collaboration, including a 6G simulator, at MWC24 in Barcelona, Spain, on the 26th.
SKT will continue to research the appropriate use cases and feasibility of AI-based wireless transmission and reception technologies based on actual network operation experience from the operator's perspective by utilizing wireless environment data from commercial networks to train AI models through the four-party collaboration.
"Through our collaboration with SK Telecom and Nokia, we will take the lead in the development and standardization of innovative 6G technologies and focus on building a global ecosystem that encompasses future industries and technologies," said Takaaki Sato, Chief Technology Officer of NTT Docomo.
"To create a world-class 6G system, it is important to get input from the mobile operators who will provide 6G services," said Peter Vetter, Head of Nokia Bell Labs. "We will continue our innovative research with SKT, NTT and NTT Docomo to design the networks of the future."
"This development signals our collaboration with global operators and manufacturers to develop core 6G technologies, and is an example of private sector cooperation between Korea, the US, Japan, and Europe," said Ryu Takki, Head of Infrastructure Technology at SK Telecom. "As an AI company, we will continue our research and development to apply AI to the infrastructure sector, which is our foundation."
