Developed NB-IoT dedicated Core network equipment (C-SGN) in partnership with domestic SMEs
Providing stable service by separating and managing LTE and IoT networks independently

LG Uplus announced that it has completed the development of C-SGN equipment, a core network device dedicated to NB-IoT based on NFV, in collaboration with Iruon Co., Ltd., a domestic mobile telecommunications solution development company, and has begun full-scale deployment.

C-SGN equipment is NB-IoT dedicated switching equipment that performs the same role as the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) of the existing LTE core network. By utilizing C-SGN equipment, the LTE network and the NB-IoT network can be separated and managed independently within the core network.

Through this, LG Uplus’s NB-IoT network utilizes the wide coverage of the existing LTE network while operating completely separately from the LTE network, so it can stably provide both LTE services and IoT services without affecting each other’s service quality.

Particularly in the industrial IoT sector, which involves many B2B services, services can be provided by configuring a dedicated IoT network optimized for the client's requirements, such as a 'dedicated LTE network' for a specific factory. Additionally, since separate capacity expansion is possible for LTE and NB-IoT networks, telecommunications companies can efficiently execute equipment investment costs.

NB-IoT is evaluated as being advantageous for providing dense coverage and stable service quality because it is based on the nationwide LTE network. Major global telecommunications companies such as China Mobile, AT&T, T-Mobile, China Telecom, and Vodafone are also signaling their entry into the Internet of Things market using NB-IoT technology.

Capacity can be expanded at the SW module level to accommodate the proliferation of IoT devices based on NFV.

LG Uplus’s equipment development also holds significance in that it has created an opportunity for shared growth with domestic SMEs through joint development. The LTE core network equipment market has been heavily skewed towards large domestic and international conglomerates. By partnering with Iruon to jointly develop and deploy core NB-IoT equipment in the core network, LG Uplus is expected to not only secure NB-IoT-related technological capabilities for domestic SMEs but also facilitate their entry into overseas markets based on domestic references.

Based on this, LG Uplus plans to expand its business areas in earnest into utility sectors such as remote meter reading, industrial IoT, and smart cities, with the goal of establishing an NB-IoT ecosystem early.

Heo Bit-to, Senior Vice President of Network Development at LG Uplus, stated, "We have developed and begun constructing the first infrastructure in Korea to accommodate NB-IoT devices in the most stable and efficient manner," adding, "Based on our technological leadership in the NB-IoT industry, we will contribute to enhancing the technological capabilities of domestic telecommunications equipment through continuous mutual growth with domestic SMEs such as Iruon."