5G SA Packet Switch and Core Equipment 5G Communication Success
| SA, 3x Data Processing Efficiency Compared to Existing NSA
| Application of network slicing and functional modularization technologies

Data communication using a pure 5G system was successful.

SK Telecom announced on the 1st that, together with Samsung Electronics, it has succeeded in data communication using a pure 5G system by linking a '5G SA' packet switch and core equipment, which is the first 5G standalone standard in Korea.

A packet switch is an essential gateway that all voice and data traffic generated by mobile devices, such as smartphones, must pass through to access the Internet network.

Current 5G networks use the NSA (Non-standalone, 5G-LTE hybrid standard) method, which shares some equipment with LTE. 5G SA (Standalone, 5G standalone standard), which configures the network solely with 5G equipment, requires significant time, cost, and resources for standardization development.

The newly introduced '5G SA' has three times higher data processing efficiency compared to the existing '5G NSA'. It can efficiently control large-scale traffic and provide optimal communication performance for next-generation services expected in the 5G era, such as AR/VR, autonomous driving, smart factories, and smart farms.

The 5G SA interoperability that the two companies have successfully achieved is a procedure to verify whether data is transmitted and received normally in an environment identical to actual customer service, and it is recognized as a success only if the entire process required for data communication is passed without any problems.

The two companies explained that the successful interoperability confirmed the structural completeness of the 5G SA core network, bringing them one step closer to the commercialization of 5G SA.

5G SA incorporates core 5G technologies such as 'network slicing' and 'functional modularization'.

Network slicing is a technology that separates a network into physical and virtual networks to ensure traffic quality tailored to the customer's situation, and functional modularization is a technology that combines functions like stacking blocks to quickly provide new services to customers.

In addition, technologies such as 'data parallel processing technology' that simultaneously performs packet quality control and delivery stages, 'data acceleration technology' that classifies, distributes, and transmits data of similar nature, and 'path optimization technology' that automatically delivers traffic suitable for Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) platforms have also been applied.

Park Jin-hyo, Head of SK Telecom’s ICT Technology Center, stated, “We have been developing SA upgrade technology since the early stages of NSA deployment to provide customers with differentiated communication quality and products, and we expect it to be commercialized in the first half of next year.” He added, “We will continue to proactively showcase innovative 5G technologies through close cooperation with Samsung Electronics.”" stated.

"Jeon Jae-ho, Vice President of the Development Team at Samsung Electronics' Network Business Division, said, '5G SA will be a core technology that enables diverse and innovative 5G services that existing NSA cannot provide,' and added, 'We will make new history in the 5G SA field based on cooperation with SK Telecom.'"

Meanwhile, on June 17, the two companies signed a business agreement to promote joint research on 5G advancement and 6G evolution technologies. The two companies plan to engage in the joint development and commercialization of 5G-related network technologies, innovative terminals and software, and smart solutions.