KT Collaborates with Ericsson and Nokia on 5G Equipment Development
Published2019.06.15 07:01| Ericsson 4T4R Base Stations Deployed on KT 5G Commercial Network
KT and Nokia Launch Joint 28GHz mmWave Task Force
KT announced on the 14th that it has decided to strengthen mutual cooperation with Ericsson and Nokia in the development of 5G equipment and the utilization of the 28 GHz mmWave frequency band.
KT announced on the 13th that it conducted a technical demonstration of 5G TDD (Time Division Duplex) 4T4R RU (Remote Unit) equipment developed in collaboration with Ericsson at the Ericsson Research Center in Kista, Sweden, and succeeded in applying the 4T4R base station to KT's 5G commercial network.
KT Executive Vice President Lee Su-gil and Ericsson General Manager Einar Tifo
Existing 5G base station equipment is based on the Active Antenna System (AAS), which uses multiple antenna arrays, enabling fast base station transmission speeds and wide coverage, but its high cost is a hindrance to building 5G coverage in outlying areas away from urban centers.
KT began developing 4T4R base stations with Ericsson starting last April. 4T4R equipment does not apply complex Active Antenna System (AAS) technology, making it possible to build a cost-effective 5G network compared to existing base station equipment.
In March of this year, KT and Ericsson applied 4T4R base station equipment to a commercial network for the first time in the world, and secured stable service performance by conducting performance enhancements over approximately three months to address various issues that arose during the commercial network deployment process. They also stated that through this demonstration, they verified that they can stably provide ultra-high-speed, ultra-low-latency 5G services even when 4T4R equipment is applied.
KT plans to rapidly expand nationwide 5G coverage so that KT subscribers can use 5G services anytime and anywhere by enhancing the performance of AAS-based RU equipment installed in urban areas and actively deploying the newly developed 4T4R base station equipment when building 5G networks in outlying areas.
Nokia Vice President Mark Atkinson and KT Executive Director Lee Su-gil
In addition, KT held a meeting at Nokia’s headquarters in Espoo, Finland on the 12th and agreed to cooperate on verifying 5G commercialization equipment in the 28 GHz mmWave band and overcoming technical challenges related to mmWave. To this end, the two companies plan to launch a joint task force and pursue full-scale technical cooperation.
Compared to the 3.5 GHz band currently used for commercial 5G services in Korea, the mmWave frequency band experiences a rapid increase in signal transmission loss in the wireless section due to distance or obstacles. Therefore, to utilize the mmWave frequency band for mobile communication services, the practical application of more advanced 5G technology is essential.
KT plans to further strengthen its leadership in mmWave band utilization technology in commercial networks through this collaboration with Nokia in the field of 28 GHz technology. In addition, if the currently operating 3.5 GHz band 5G network and the 28 GHz-based network are designed to be complementary, 5G services utilizing the wide frequency resources of the mmWave band are expected to be upgraded to the next level.
Lee Su-gil, Senior Vice President and Head of KT Network Research & Technology Support Group, stated, “Through this 5G technology collaboration with Ericsson and Nokia, KT has created an opportunity to further strengthen its technological advantage in the 5G field,” adding, “We will maintain KT’s unique competitiveness in 5G services by providing high-quality 5G services to customers through the early application of cost-effective coverage technology and mmWave bands to commercial networks.”
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