"KT Collaborates with Verizon and Vodafone to Promote 5G Convergence Activation"

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] KT announced on the 16th that it has developed joint technical specifications and guidelines for '5G Multi-Access Edge Computing' with members of the '5G Future Forum.' This is the first technical achievement produced just six months after the formation of the 5G Future Forum.

5G MEC is a technology that processes users' 5G data at a physical location very close to them. When this technology is applied to the 5G network, 5G convergence services that require ultra-low latency functions, such as industrial equipment automation and intelligence, connected cars, and smart cities, can be commercialized more smoothly.

The 5G Future Forum is a network technology consortium formed last January to expand the 5G MEC ecosystem, bringing together leading 5G representatives from Korea's KT, the United States' Verizon, the United Kingdom's Vodafone, Australia's Telstra, Canada's Rogers, and Mexico's America Movil. The core content of the joint technical specifications released by the 5G Future Forum is the definition of communication languages or message formats (API) used between the cloud located at the network edge and telecommunications companies.

Aligning communication languages or message formats is one of the essential conditions for implementing 5G MEC technology. Using these specifications, cloud or content creators who want to apply 5G MEC technology can connect their services to customers more smoothly. Hong Kyung-pyo, head of KT's Convergence Technology Institute, said, "With this global 5G MEC specification, we have obtained an environment to target the B2B market, which is called the blue ocean of 5G," adding, "We will make our best efforts to provide better 5G services by combining KT's advanced technologies such as AI."