The nation's largest mobile carrier SK Telecom opened 5G Global Innovation Center - Playground for 5G Experience - on Thursday, set up jointly with global tech firms in its attempt to launch the world's first 5G communications technology.
5G Innovation Center to play a role in leading 5G technology
The telecom company partnered with Samsung Electronics, Ericsson, Nokia, Intel and Rohde & Schwarz to set up the center, which will house a virtual experience venue. The firm said it would designate the center as the outpost for launching 5G network by 2020 for the first time in the world.
The company has so far demonstrated 19.1Gbps wireless network and advanced technologies for 5G infrastructure such as network slicing. It will further roll out diverse services down the road including multi-media service based on virtual and augmented reality, 5G robots, remote-control medical training simulation and 4K UHD live-broadcast system.
The telecom operator said it would not dwell on cost competition but would spur the development of the 5G technology in a bid to help its clients lead more efficient, safe and pleasant lives.
The technologies to be developed in the center are expected to play a key role in connecting future technologies such as autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and robots in the future.
The 5G Global Innovation Center will be comprised of three pavilions: 5G test-bed for technology research and development; Virtual experience room to allow users to experience future services and devices; T-open lab to boost the eco-system and mutual growth.
The company plans to set up an innovative 5G network encompassing wired-wireless network, to develop future services in partnership with global ICT leaders and to map out a 5G strategy as a way of boosting the eco-system.
Demonstration of 5G communications technology
On the same day, SK Telecom successfully demonstrated 19.1Gbps, the fastest speed in the world, in partnership with Nokia. Both companies unveiled 10Gbps speed in combination with Gbps-level data transfer technology and multiple antenna technologies. The speed is 250 times faster than 75Mbps, which was unveiled when long term evolution service was first launched in July of 2011. The technology will also take less than a second to download a 2GB movie. This is close to 20Gbps, the key standard defined at International Telecommunication Union's ITU-R in June.
The company also partnered with the nation’s largest smartphone maker Samsung Electronics to unveil augmented 5G service which allows millimeter wave wireless transfer system and snowboarding experience. It also developed super-high-frequency RF chip and antenna which can be installed in the device for the first time in the world.
Last week, the mobile carrier also demonstrated 5G network slicing technology in partnership with Ericsson. SK Telecom's 5G technology was advanced to expand into core network. Utilizing this technology, one network can be divided into multiple virtual network, which can provide clients with customized services.
On top of this, SK Telecom plans to partner with Intel to pursue research and development on multiple antenna technologies boosting transmit-receive capacity through 5G test-bed. It also plans to develop Rhode&Schwarz, millimeter radio wave analysis and new wireless signal transfer method.
SK Telecom said the firm would continue to ramp up its efforts to make global standard to take the leadership in 5G technology.
On the day, the company also unveiled its guideline (http://me2.do/GhXAQbs6) for designing and developing 5G structure, and presented 47 sub-guidelines, which are necessary for building 5G system.
Earlier, SK Telecom issued 5G guideline at 5G Global Summit in November of 2014, and presented network structure and blue print related to 5G at 3GPP conference in February.
Teams up with Google and Sony
SK Telecom (SKT) also unveiled Virtual Experience Room where people can have a firsthand experience of 5G network-based technologies, such as ultra high-speed data transmission and ultra low latency.
The largest wireless carrier in South Korea also introduced a 4K UHD (ultra-high-definition) live broadcasting system, which SKT is currently developing in collaboration with Sony. The latest 4K cameras were installed to demonstrate how high-quality TV content can be broadcast live over the air.
Though traditional terrestrial live broadcasting systems require satellite networks, optic cables and broadcast relay stations for live outside broadcasting, Gbps (gigabits per second)-level wireless transmission technologies enable the transmission of ultra high-definition videos in the era of the 5G network.
Another highlight was a remote collaboration service based on SKT’s augmented reality (AR) technology. SKT ran simulations of remote medical education to show how doctors can remotely communicate with students in real time, watching 3D images of anatomical structures of the human heart.
Also on display were an AR solution called the ‘T-AR for Project Tango,’ which was unveiled at Google I/O 2015 (Google’s annual developer conference) held in May, and an exoskeleton-controlled 5G robot (which basked in attention at the 2015 Mobile World Congress held in March). SKT is now poised to develop a variety of immersive multimedia services to add a new dimension to customer experience.
