KT to Build NB-IoT Nationwide Network
Published2016.11.28 06:44Complete commercial network construction by March 2017 in 85 cities, by June nationwide
KT announced that it held an 'NB-IoT Nationwide Network Construction Agreement Ceremony' with Samsung Electronics, Ericsson LG, and Nokia at KT Gwanghwamun Building East in Jongno-gu, Seoul, to upgrade the existing LTE network by the first half of 2017, marking a world first.
KT had previously announced its commercialization plan for NB-IoT, an international standard communication technology established by 3GPP in July, and selected the LTE base station upgrade method that provides an optimal service environment based on coverage comparison test results by commercial network construction method.
Given the need for close cooperation with Samsung, Ericsson LG, and Nokia, which are the manufacturers of LTE base stations currently deployed, KT signed an agreement for network construction optimization and high-quality NB-IoT service to build the NB-IoT nationwide network through the LTE upgrade method.
The LTE upgrade method is a method of allocating a certain frequency bandwidth exclusively for NB-IoT from base stations serving existing LTE, eliminating the need for separate base station equipment installation and offering the advantage of reducing cost burden.
In particular, the LTE upgrade method enables utilization of not only existing LTE base stations but also approximately 300,000 repeaters, making IoT service application possible in underground parking lots or underground machine rooms where repeaters are installed, and is expected to enable the discovery of diverse business models based on perfect quality. Additionally, within densified coverage, IoT terminal battery consumption is reduced, and battery life is expected to exceed 10 years.
KT plans to complete commercial network construction in 85 cities by March 2017 and nationwide by June 2017, with plans to launch commercial service within the first half of the year. The company plans to take the lead in building a densely-packed nationwide NB-IoT commercial network for the first time in the world, invigorating service activation and ecosystem development in the low power wide area (LPWA) IoT field.
Han Won-sik, Executive Director of KT SCM Strategy Office, stated, "KT will continuously cooperate with Samsung Electronics, Ericsson LG, and Nokia to complete NB-IoT nationwide network construction without any disruption by the first half of 2017." He added, "We anticipate that the NB-IoT nationwide network will serve as a catalyst for domestic IoT industry activation, and we will continue to make aggressive investments and efforts in ecosystem development."
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