KT Introduces 5G MUX-25G Optical Module
5G MUX: Expanding 5G without Changing Existing Networks
25G optical modules, the foundation for overwhelming 5G data processing

KT announced on the 21st that it has introduced "5G optical infrastructure" to strengthen its competitiveness in building 5G networks. The newly introduced optical infrastructure consists of a "5G multiplexer (MUX)" and a "25G optical module."
Establishing a 5G network requires building a wired transmission network from the 5G base station (Radio Unit, RU) to the central office (Digital Unit, DU). This has presented challenges, requiring either installing new optical cables or modifying the existing network structure to utilize existing optical cables.

To resolve these difficulties and build a 5G network quickly and efficiently, KT introduced 5G MUX. MUX is a device that combines and separates optical signals so that various services such as ultra-high-speed Internet, 3G, LTE, and 5G can be transmitted and received through a single line.
By attaching a 5G MUX to an existing network, a 5G network can be built in a plug-in manner without installing additional optical cables.

Because it utilizes existing optical cables and does not require changes to the network structure, it can be built quickly, and it has the advantage of being able to build 5G anywhere optical cables are laid, regardless of location.

KT developed and introduced a 25G optical module for mobile communications using the LWDM method along with a 5G MUX. An optical module is an optical signal conversion device for connection to optical infrastructure, and KT has newly developed an LWDM (LAN-Wavelength Division Multiplexing) optical module, previously used for data centers, into a 25G optical module for mobile communications.
25G optical modules using LWDM utilize wide wavelengths to process high-capacity data more reliably and quickly. Consequently, they can process 25% more data at 5G base stations than competitors, meeting the essential requirements of 5G—ultra-high capacity, ultra-high speed, and hyper-connectivity.

KT plans to rapidly expand its nationwide 5G coverage by adding the newly introduced 5G MUX and 25G optical modules to its existing domestic communications infrastructure, which is the largest in the country, and to provide more stable 5G services based on this.

Seo Chang-seok, executive director of KT’s Network Strategy Division, said, “As a national company, KT has been working to provide wired and wireless services that customers need even in remote islands and mountainous regions where it is difficult to build communications infrastructure,” and added, “We will continue to provide the highest quality 5G services based on KT’s overwhelming wired and wireless infrastructure and differentiated technological prowess.”