SKT has successfully verified the development of infrastructure technology for 5G IoT services.

SKT announced on the 17th that it has completed the development and commercial pilot network verification of RedCap (Reduced Capability), Korea's first 5G IoT technology.

RedCap is a lightweight IoT service support technology that enhances 5G network performance. By reducing the bandwidth and number of antennas in 5G IoT devices, the device itself can be lowered in cost and power consumption.

Applying RedCap technology adds low-power capabilities to the existing 5G advantages of "massive connectivity." This makes it ideal for IoT devices that require constant network connectivity, such as wearables, connected cars, smart factories, and CCTV.

SKT, together with Nokia and MediaTek, has completed the development of RedCap, a 5G IoT technology based on commercial frequency bands, and field testing of a commercial pilot network at the Bundang testbed. “Through this demonstration of RedCap technology, we have confirmed that power consumption can be effectively reduced by optimizing the bandwidth and number of antennas in the terminal and reducing its weight,” the company said.

SKT stated, "This is significant in that we have secured the core technologies necessary for the evolution of 6G and AI technologies, thereby establishing the technological foundation for future AIoT services that combine AI and IoT." Going forward, SKT will collaborate with domestic and international operators and manufacturers to ensure that AIoT can be utilized in a variety of fields.

Ryu Tak-gi, head of SKT’s infrastructure technology division, said, “SKT has established infrastructure-based technology for 5G IoT services by developing and verifying the 5G IoT technology RedCap for the first time in Korea.” He added, “Going forward, we will not only lead the ecosystem for commercializing 5G IoT and AIoT, but also contribute to technology development and ecosystem expansion for the evolution of 6G, where various service terminals, including wearables, will be launched in earnest.”

Meanwhile, SKT published its "6G White Paper" on the 10th, outlining key requirements for 6G standardization and the future direction of network evolution. Learning from the difficult-to-activate 28GHz frequency band, SKT cited the 4-10GHz band as a candidate 6G frequency.

In the white paper, SKT argued that "we must consider the constraints on investment availability of RF technology and base stations to compensate for the poor propagation characteristics of high frequency bands," and that "we must actively consider utilizing low-band and lower-mid-band frequencies currently used in existing mobile communication networks."