First demonstrations of 5G, IoT, UHD, VR, AI, etc. at the cutting-edge K-ICT Olympics

There are just over 450 days left until the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. While the Olympics, a global festival, usually focuses attention on how many medals are won in which events, there is a separate reason to pay attention to this PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

The fact is that the PyeongChang Olympics is the ICT Olympics. Recently, the Olympics has become a showcase for the cutting-edge ICT technology industry and a venue of significant opportunity for national prestige and industrial aspects.

The 2008 Beijing Olympics was a science and technology Olympics broadcast live on the internet, and the 2010 Vancouver Olympics was a Twitter Olympics of sharing and participation. The 2012 London Olympics was a social Olympics of social media interaction, and the preceding 2014 Sochi Olympics became a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Olympics providing personalized service information.

Accordingly, the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics is expected to become a K-ICT Olympics, utilizing the best ICT products and services. This world-leading, cutting-edge K-ICT Olympics is projected to become a festival for humanity where advanced technologies such as 5G, IoT, UHD, VR, and AI are demonstrated or commercialized for the first time. We will explain, one by one, the five reasons why the PyeongChang Olympics will imprint the image of Korea as an IT powerhouse on the world.

1. It is the world's first 5G Olympics.

At the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, you can experience ultra-high-speed wireless communication as well as immersive media services such as holograms, ultra-multi-viewpoints, and virtual reality through the world's first 5G.

5G pilot networks will be established in high-profile areas such as Olympic venues, Incheon Airport, and Gwanghwamun, and commercial-grade 5G terminals will be developed and provided. For example, immersive media services such as holograms, multi-viewpoints, and virtual reality (VR) will be provided as 5G services, and real-time control services such as autonomous driving and drones will be piloted based on 5G.

In particular, the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics can be considered the start of full-scale 5G services as it marks the third consecutive Olympics in Northeast Asia, following the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Japan plans to launch commercial 5G services through the Olympics, while China plans to provide 5G advanced services.

Kim Hyung-joon, Head of KT’s PyeongChang Winter Olympics Promotion Team, said, “We will provide new services including holograms, 360-degree VR, OmniView, and IoT through 5G technology, which possesses three major attributes: ultra-high speed, ultra-low latency, and ultra-connectivity. As the PyeongChang Olympics is an event that implements the world’s first 5G services, we will be able to bring forward the commercialization of services to 2019.”

Giga Wi-Fi zones will also be established during the Olympics. The wireless communication environment will be improved by setting up Giga Wi-Fi zones centered on areas with high user density. Private Wi-Fi will be provided for competition officials, while Public Wi-Fi will be provided for general spectators. After demonstrating a test event in March of next year, a second facility will be constructed in the second half of the year.

Development of the 5G pilot network and terminals will be implemented during the Olympics after the 5G pilot network test event demonstration in March 2017 and the integration of 5G pilot network terminals and services in September. Immersive media and real-time control services will undergo OmniView (bobsleigh, figure skating) and 5G bus test events in March 2017, followed by the optimization of OmniView service equipment in September.

2. It is a convenient IoT Olympics.

At the PyeongChang Olympics, you can experience convenient, personalized IoT services covering transportation, competitions, accommodation, sightseeing, and shopping from arrival to departure.

First, the navigation service utilizes AR and precise positioning technology to provide personalized location-based indoor and outdoor navigation based on the travel route. Upon receiving an AR navigation request, users can access AR indoor navigation as well as outdoor walking directions. For interactive viewing guidance, visitors can experience two-way digital signage services at the stadium and Athletes' Village, including cheering videos, welcome greetings, and the creation of AR experience videos.

In addition, it provides visitors with movement routes and danger zones through congestion information, and offers real-time parking information as well as smart tourism and smart shopping services. In particular, it supports entry to tourist attractions using wearable bands (prepaid) and integrated payment services for transportation, accommodation, etc. The One Pass band service is also planned to be utilized in conjunction with Gangwon-do tourism points.

To provide IoT services for enhancing athletes' performance, it manages athlete health based on stress information measured by pulse wave and brainwave sensors, and constructs an ice chamber for ice rink equipment to conduct scientific equipment experiments and verify performance. It challenges the scientific advancement of sports by monitoring luge athlete training data (speed, motion, time) and conducting image training, and supports precise measurements such as ski gate passage times and speeds using laser sensors.

3. Enjoy the Olympics in UHD quality that is four times sharper.

It appears that the PyeongChang Olympics will allow viewers to experience the excitement of the event exactly as it happened on-site through UHD live broadcasting services that are four times clearer than current terrestrial video.

UHD Olympic broadcasting will become possible through terrestrial 4K UHD broadcasting. Major events, including the opening and closing ceremonies and short track speed skating, will be broadcast live on terrestrial 4K UHD. We intend to set up a purely domestic UHD broadcasting system, provide opportunities for broadcast production experience, and promote the excellence of domestic broadcasting equipment both domestically and internationally.

While further consultations on production details with OBS (Olympic Broadcasting Service) are required for UHD Olympic broadcasting, we plan to begin terrestrial UHD main broadcasting early next year and establish a UHD experience studio by the end of next year.

Kim Do-sik, head of the SBS UHD Promotion Team, said, “We are preparing to broadcast a minimum of 180 minutes a day and a total of 45 hours during the Olympics,” adding, “We are pursuing innovative services that combine interactive services with various data such as athlete information, game information, and real-time records specialized for the Olympics, and we are discussing the launch of antenna-equipped UHD TVs with home appliance manufacturers to expand viewer reception convenience.”

4. It is a smart Olympics realized by artificial intelligence (AI).

The PyeongChang Olympics will be smarter than ever through automatic translation apps, AI call centers, unmanned monitoring, and autonomous driving experiences.


It provides app-based automatic translation services for Korean and eight other languages through an automatic translation app, and operates an AI call center that handles phone inquiries related to the Olympics, such as game and tourism information, using speech recognition and dialogue processing technologies.

In addition, there are plans to utilize drone image recognition technology to detect, analyze, and respond to crimes and emergencies in real time, and visitors can experience test drives of AI-based autonomous vehicles, including smartphone ride-hailing, automatic parking, and road driving.

5. It is a VR Olympics to enjoy.

Through virtual course experiences, VR drone racing competitions, K-Pop hologram competitions, and virtual traditional culture experiences, the Olympics becomes an Olympics to be enjoyed rather than just watched.

VR simulation games such as ski jumping, bobsleigh, and snowboarding VR, as well as VR Hallyu tourism services, are also provided. For VR broadcasting services, broadcasters film game footage and other content using high-definition VR cameras and transmit it in real time. A VR drone racing competition will also be held, where pilots compete by viewing video captured by drone-mounted cameras directly through their VR devices.