Chairman Hwang: 5G Innovation Will Be Prominent in B2B
Soon, SMEs Will Also Enjoy 5G Smart Factory Benefits
Accelerating the creation of the 5G ecosystem through initiatives such as the 5G Open Lab

KT announced that it is launching 5G services via smartphones.
KT Chairman Hwang Chang-kyu delivered a keynote speech on the theme "Now a Reality, KT 5G and the Next Intelligent Platform" at MWC19, which opened in Barcelona, Spain, on the 25th (local time).

Chairman Hwang made people look forward to the future that 5G would create through two MWC keynote speeches in 2015 and 2017. At MWC19, it was emphasized that 5G, which has become a reality right before our eyes, must become a technology that contributes to humanity.

He also explained that 5G will not only realize true mobile real-time communication but also bring about remarkable social and industrial changes, such as saving lives and changing the paradigm of manufacturing.


5G innovation will be prominent in B2B
Chairman Hwang’s MWC19 keynote speech began with a video showing how 5G technology saves lives in major disaster situations.

When a disaster occurs, a sky ship is dispatched to the scene to restore the 5G network. Once the 5G network is restored, rescue workers wear 5G-based AR glasses and neckbands to rescue stranded individuals and escape from the crisis. With the help of the 5G network, the control center notifies drivers located on the optimal route of the ambulance of its movement and guides them to make way.

After the video ended, Chairman Hwang stated that through communication and collaboration with global companies, they were able to successfully showcase the world's first '5G Olympics' in Pyeongchang in 2018.

Chairman Hwang declared, “The promise made four years ago has been realized,” adding, “KT intends to introduce the world’s first true 5G mobile service.” He then took out a 5G smartphone, emphasizing that it is the world’s first 5G phone built based on KT standards.

In the future, 5G smartphones will enable ultra-high definition of 4K and 8K as well as holograms, and based on this, consumers will be able to enjoy more vivid real-time mobile communication. Along with this, one-person broadcasting will also evolve into the era of mobile multi-access. VR and AR games also deliver amazing experiences based on the cloud.

Chairman Hwang emphasized that 5G innovation would be prominent in the B2B sector. As a real-world example, he presented Hyundai Heavy Industries, which is transforming into the world's first 5G shipyard based on KT 5G. He showed a video of the Hyundai Heavy Industries production site (7 million square meters), which is 2.4 times the size of Yeouido (2.9 million square meters), being perfectly controlled by a 5G network.

Based on the 5G network, Hyundai Heavy Industries employees devote themselves to shipbuilding more efficiently. 5G-connected AR glasses and intelligent CCTVs help resolve various issues at the company's production sites more quickly. Shipowners check the construction status of their ordered vessels in real time using tablets. A safety officer on night patrol spots an emergency behind him via a camera installed on a neckband and completes safety measures.

Chairman Hwang stated that cutting-edge 5G networks will bring disruptive innovation to the manufacturing paradigm, and announced that KT has developed a '5G Smart Factory' service for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that allows them to pay only for usage. The 5G Smart Factory is expected to drive innovation for SMEs through innovative solutions such as machine vision and enterprise-dedicated 5G.

Machine vision enhances the productivity of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by enabling robots to perform various tasks. KT’s private 5G enterprise network, the first of its kind in the industry, provides SMEs with benefits equivalent to establishing a dedicated corporate network through network slicing.


Maximizing 5G Value with Proprietary Technology
Chairman Hwang introduced KT's achievements in the connected car sector, noting that the company showcased an autonomous bus at the PyeongChang Olympics and operated the 'Zero Shuttle' in Pangyo Zero City. In addition, the '5G Remote Cockpit,' a 5G-based emergency remote control technology, was successfully demonstrated at Hwaseong K-City. The 5G Remote Cockpit switches the vehicle to autonomous driving mode in emergency situations, moves the driver to a safe location, and automatically calls an ambulance.

It was also announced that it is providing a dedicated mobile network for helicopter emergency medical services by utilizing a breakthrough antenna design (transmission and reception technology that extends beyond the antenna range). KT has established wireless networks across three air routes—Ajou University Hospital-Pyeongtaek, Icheon-Yeoju, and the West Coast Line—to support the helicopter transport of emergency patients by the Ajou University Hospital Regional Trauma Center, famous for Professor Lee Kuk-jong. Although this emergency helicopter support wireless network, the first of its kind in Korea, is currently LTE-based, its expected benefits are anticipated to increase significantly as it evolves to 5G in the future.

Chairman Hwang explained that KT has prepared technologies and solutions with CUPS, Dr. Lauren, and Gigastelth to realize a 5G-based smart enterprise. These technologies possessed by KT play a role in further maximizing the power of the 5G network.

Control and User Plane Separation (CUPS) technology separates the device responsible for signal processing from the device responsible for user traffic, enabling ultra-low latency of less than 1 msec (1/1000 of a second).

KT verified the ultra-low latency and investment savings effects of CUPS through PyeongChang 5G, and for the first time in Korea, developed 5G NSA core equipment applying CUPS technology in collaboration with Samsung Electronics and Cisco, and completed its deployment on the commercial network. As KT has established mobile edge computing centers in eight locations nationwide rather than just one or two, it expects the effects of ultra-low latency and investment savings resulting from CUPS to be even greater.

Dr. Lauren is a solution that uses AI technology to detect network failures and rapidly restore them. It identifies the causes of failures and rapidly restores them through network technologies based on sensors, deep learning, algorithms, and software. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent network failures in advance by performing predictive analysis based on big data.

GiGAStealth is expected to be a groundbreaking solution for IoT security, which will become increasingly important in the 5G era. This technology blocks hacking attempts at the source by preventing hackers from locating IoT devices through the method of hiding IP addresses.

Chairman Hwang explained that KT's intelligent 5G network will drive innovation not only in ICT but also in various fields such as energy, environment, and healthcare. He cited the KT Energy Control Platform (KT-MEG) in the energy sector, Skyship in disaster safety, Air Map Korea in the environment, and the Live Media Platform in VR media as specific examples. He also emphasized that the Global Epidemic Prevention Platform (GEPP) will prevent the spread of highly contagious diseases through AI-based big data analysis.


5G Intelligent Networks Must Evolve into 5G Innovation Platforms
KT is also working to build a 5G ecosystem. At the '5G Open Lab' located at the KT R&D Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul, KT partner companies are testing 5G-based ideas and products and exploring new business opportunities.

In addition, KT is providing various B2B and B2C services such as network slicing, edge computing, voice recognition, and geographic information through the API Link Portal. Along with this, various attempts are being made to accelerate 5G innovation through the 5G Eco Alliance.

Chairman Hwang stated that KT is evolving 5G beyond an intelligent network into a new, unprecedented platform called the "5G-as-a-Platform." He explained that the 5G-as-a-Platform will accelerate digital adoption and business model innovation in industrial sectors, while contributing to the resolution of various social issues. Furthermore, he added that it will ensure the achievements of the 4th Industrial Revolution, based on 5G, are distributed evenly to all industrial sectors and individuals.

The 5G Innovation Platform aims to create unprecedented value by combining 5G with innovative technologies and solutions such as AI, blockchain, big data, and IoT.

For example, through 5G's ultra-high speed, ultra-low latency, and ultra-connectivity, not only is autonomous driving realized, but traffic accident prevention and the early transport of emergency patients are also achieved. Smart cities and smart factories can be considered concrete forms of the 5G innovation platform. It is expected to contribute to solving humanity's challenges, such as disaster safety, climate change, and population aging, as well as enhancing efficiency.

Chairman Hwang said, “5G, which will turn things that were previously only possible in imagination into reality, must ultimately become a technology for people and a technology that contributes to the progress of humanity,” adding, “While semiconductors are currently driving the Korean economy, within a few years, 5G-based services, solutions, and content will become the central axis driving not only the Korean economy but also the global economy.”