[THE INVESTOR] Telecom firm KT Corp. participated in a 5G conference held from Dec. 11-12 in Stockholm to share some of its 5G technologies and know-how in running the next-generation network during the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
The 5G Deployment Seminar was hosted by network firm Ericsson and joined by global telecom companies and network equipment makers, including Telia company of Sweden, to discuss use cases of 5G and progress in commercializing the next-gen tech.
Kim Byung-seok, a vice president of KT’s network unit. (KT Corp.) |
KT, which officially launched 5G services in Korea along with its local rivals SK Telecom and LG Uplus on Dec. 1, was the only Korean network operator invited to the event.
At the conference, the firm gave a presentation on the deployment of what is called the 5G mobile hotspot, a type of router that enables the fast network services, and its planned launch of related services targeting general consumers as well as businesses.
The Korean telco has been partnering with Ericsson for the past years, utilizing the Swedish firm’s network facilities and devices for 3G and LTE.
The two partners have agreed to work together in commercializing the 5G network and developing related technologies to improve latency and security as well as 5G coverage.
“We demonstrated 4K live streaming services over the 5G network together with Ericsson during the 2018 Winter Olympics,” said KT Vice President Kim Byung-seok, who took part in the event, adding the firm would beef up the partnership further.
Global network firms as well governments are vying to take the lead in the 5G sector as the industry is closely linked to emerging technologies and businesses, such as those for autonomous vehicles and video streaming services.
According to a report published by Ericsson, the number of 5G subscribers is forecast to reach 1.5 billion by 2024, accounting for 17 percent of the entire mobile subscribers.
By Kim Young-won (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)