25 Gbps 5G
Korean mobile operator KT said that it succeeded in 25.3 Gbps data transmission by using Millimeter Wave (mmWave) with Multi-user, Multiple Input, Multiple Output (Mu-MIMO) for the first time in the world on Feb. 17 (local time in Sweden), in cooperation with Ericsson. The mmWave is frequency bands for 5G cellular services that can realize fast data transmission speeds by using a wide range of bandwidth.
Since the mmWave has very small wavelength, it is possible to miniaturize the instrument and use wide frequency bandwidth from the hundreds of megahertz (MHz) to some gigahertz (GHz). Accordingly, it is essential to realize more than 20 Gbps data transmission speed, which meet the 5G performance requirements suggested by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in June 2015.
Unlike existing technology demonstrations which realize transmission speeds by connecting wires with one device, KT succeeded in introducing more than 25 Gbps transmission speeds based on MU-MIMO for the first time in the world. It is over 80 times faster than the current LTE-A.
KT is aiming to provide 5G trial services for the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics. In order to do so, the company is working together with global manufacturers to set the 5G system standards at PyeongChang, and these standards were partially used in the latest mmWave system.
KT already demonstrated 7.55 Gbps data transmission speed using mmWave frequency bands at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2015, laying the groundwork for 5G technology. The company will also demonstrate 20 Gbps data transmission technolgy at the MWC 2016 in order to show the world that the company is leading the 5G technology.