5G Coming
KT broke through a technological barrier for the commercialization of fifth generation (5th) mobile telecommunication services in concert with Samsung Electronics. This means that KT succeeded in the world’s first 5G data telecommunication test.
The two companies announced on Oct. 26 that they conducted the test and successfully exchanged data with a telecommunication server by making a call with a 5G handset at a Samsung Electronics lab in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do on Oct. 25.
This marked the first time that the first test call was completed through the full regular process from beginning to end, although partial 5G telecommunication tests had been conducted at home and abroad.
This test used a 5G test telecommunication network built inside the lab. A draft standard used in the test is “KT 5G-SIG” developed by world-class telecommunication equipment manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics. KT 5G-SIG is most likely to be selected as the world’s standard among draft 5G standards proposed by the electronics and telecommunications industry. This draft standard, developed from November of last year to June of this year, satisfies the key requirements for 5G set by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
The remaining task for the Korean electronics and telecommunication industries after the success of the first call is to raise the accuracy of the technology by upgrading it a great deal. “We will pursue the sophistication of the technology such as scaling up outputs of network equipment in order to reinforce 5G data telecommunication under any circumstances,” a Samsung representative said. It is a current challenge for the commercialization of 5G to develop modem chips for smartphones and equipment for base stations in accordance with this standard.
At the moment, Qualcomm of the U.S. is unrivaled in the development of 5G modem chips. It is said that a prototype which can process data at a speed of 5GB per second will be released in the second half of 2017.
Huawei is reportedly making massive investment in order to preoccupy the market of 5G telecommunication equipment after 4.5G, too.
The government and private sector’s responses are called for as Korea’s investment in 5G telecommunication equipment lags behind the U.S. and China.
Samsung Electronics has a bright future about securing related technological leadership by taking part in the Advanced Wireless Research Initiative (AWRI) of the White House as a BOD member.