SKT Achieves Twice Faster 'Pure 5G Communication'... First in Korea

Successful 5G SA Data Communication Using Samsung and Ericsson 5G Equipment on Commercial Networks in Busan Area

SK Telecom researchers are conducting 5G SA communication tests.
[Photo by SK Telecom]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] SK Telecom has succeeded in data communication using the '5G Standalone (SA)' standard, which is twice as fast in connection time compared to existing networks, for the first time in Korea.

On the 20th, SK Telecom announced that it implemented 5G SA communication using 5G equipment from Samsung Electronics and Ericsson on the 5G commercial network in the Busan area. This advancement allows for a rapid evolution to 5G SA communication through software upgrades alone.

The current 5G network, commercialized by SK Telecom in December 2018, operates in a 'Non-Standalone (NSA)' mode that partially shares the LTE system. 5G SA communication does not require interworking with LTE networks, resulting in connection times twice as fast as 5G NSA and approximately three times higher data processing efficiency. This is expected to activate 5G services such as Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), autonomous driving, and smart factories. SK Telecom plans to commercialize 5G SA communication globally for the first time in the first half of this year.

By successfully configuring the 5G SA network with 5G equipment from different manufacturers such as Samsung and Ericsson, SK Telecom customers can now enjoy stable 5G communication services even when base stations and switches are products from different equipment manufacturers.

SK Telecom also announced that it applied the world's first international standard network slicing technology. Network slicing is an essential technology that separates virtual networks to provide customized traffic quality required by the services used by customers. In addition, many core technologies related to 5G networks were applied, including Mobile Edge Computing (MEC), which can provide ultra-low latency and ultra-high-speed communication services regardless of physical distance, as well as function modularization and data parallel processing technologies.

Park Jong-kwan, head of SK Telecom's 5GX Lab, said, "With the success of 5G SA communication on the commercial network, the true commercialization of 5G networks is now within reach," adding, "We will provide the best 5G network and services so that customers can fully experience the 5G era."