KT tests 5G data transmission based on 28 GHz bandwidth

SEOUL – To market a true 5G ecosystem that will accelerate the advent of autonomous smart factories and cities, South Korea’s leading telecommunications company, KT, successfully verified the on-site transmission of autonomous vehicle data and a base station using the frequency of the 28 GHz bandwidth.

In 2019, South Korea released 5G mobile networks based on non-autonomous standards (NSA), 3.5 GHz bandwidth and 4G infrastructure. This year, KT and other companies are trying to bring autonomous technology (SA) to market, which improves the efficiency of massive data traffic.

The 28 GHz 5G network will accelerate the speed of data transmission, especially in areas where traffic is concentrated, such as stadiums and large shopping malls. Essential network services for self-driving cars will be more secure.

KT said on Wednesday it had verified a 28 GHz environment on a test base in the southern city of Daegu by applying ultra-reliable low latency communication technology (URLLC) to reduce wireless transmission errors and reduce transmission of unnecessary data between base stations and terminals. URLLC is intended for latency sensitive devices for applications such as factory automation, autonomous driving and remote surgery. These applications require less than a millisecond latency.

Working with 5G Mobile Computing (MEC) based core network equipment, KT tested high speed downloads and low latency data transfer in a convenient wireless environment.

The 28 GHz-based 5G network will speed up the speed of data transmission, especially in areas where traffic is concentrated, such as stadiums and large shopping malls. Essential network services for self-driving cars will be more secure.

“By commercializing the next-generation 28 GHz-based 5G network, which enables ultra-fast, ultra-low latency transmission, 5G services such as urban hotspots, self-driving cars, smart factories and mobile robots will be activated, ”said KT Convergence. head of the Jun Hong-bum institute of technology. A hotspot is a location that provides Internet access over Wi-Fi through the use of a router.

The National Radio Research Agency (RRA) will set up a 28 GHz chamber for antenna developers and base station equipment manufacturers to perform radio tests on a variety of wireless products.
SK Telecom is developing a dual band modem capable of using 3.5 GHz and 28 GHz together.

In October 2019, KT announced the development of the world’s first open 5G beamforming base station in the 28 GHz band through cooperation with Movandi, an American 5G startup, and Solid, a national technology company. Beam forming is possible between equipment manufactured by different companies.

Beamforming has only been linked between digital wireless equipment from the same manufacturers, but KT said it is now possible between equipment from different manufacturers by standardizing complicated beamform interlocking procedures based on on the ORAN Alliance Open Base Station Specifications, a global operator-led effort to drive new levels of openness in the radio access network of 5G wireless systems.

Beamforming technology focuses power on desired users to beam, extend coverage, and increase speed in the 28 GHz band. Beamforming and Massive Multiple Inputs and Outputs (MIMO) are essential to increase spectral efficiency and provide cost effective and reliable coverage.

MIMO uses antennas at each end of the communication circuit. Massive MIMO is a system with a high number of antennas which makes it much more resistant to interference and intentional jamming than standard MIMO networks which use two or four antennas. The 5G era needs the ability of Massive MIMO to serve multiple users simultaneously in a condensed area while maintaining fast data rates and consistent performance.