SK Telecom, along with Ericsson and Qualcomm, announced that it has successfully demonstrated data communication based on the 3GPP 5G international standard for the first time in the world at Ericsson's headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden.

The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), a mobile communications standards organization, held a general meeting in Lisbon, Portugal on the 20th (local time) and approved key 5G standards based on Non-Standalone (NSA). NSA is a standard for data transmission that combines 5G and LTE methods.

SK Telecom and three other companies demonstrated core 5G communications, including ▲ultra-high-speed data communications ▲ultra-low latency data transmission with a response speed of less than 0.001 seconds, using base stations and terminals jointly developed based on 5G standard specifications.

The technologies utilized in this demonstration include: 5G's unique wireless access technology; channel coding technology that minimizes data loss; and beamforming and beam-tracking for ultra-high-speed data transmission and mobility. All of these technologies were adopted as global 5G standards on the 20th.

Last December, SK Telecom and three other companies agreed to begin developing equipment and terminals based on the 3GPP standard. Since then, the three companies have been developing technology based on the standards, which were first disclosed to 3GPP members earlier this month. They quickly upgraded their base stations and terminals as soon as the standard was finalized, enabling them to be the first to successfully demonstrate the technology.

Following the demonstration, the three companies began preparing for early commercialization of 5G. The three companies plan to install international standard-based 5G equipment at SK Telecom's 5G test fields, including Euljiro and Bundang, and upgrade technology and equipment to suit the domestic commercial environment.

SK Telecom and other three companies have also decided to join forces to develop the next international 5G standard. Following the NSA standard, 3GPP plans to standardize the first phase of 5G specifications in the first half of next year.

In March, SK Telecom, along with global ICT companies such as AT&T, NTT Docomo, Vodafone, Ericsson, and Qualcomm, proposed to 3GPP that the "NSA" standard be completed by December of this year to facilitate early commercialization of 5G and the development of diverse application services. In response, 3GPP reached an agreement on the international 5G standard through a member company working group last month, then held a general meeting and approved the first standard for 5G commercialization.

SK Telecom made a key contribution to the NSA standard approval process by jointly contributing key technologies such as ▲5G fronthaul ▲network slicing ▲5G-LTE linkage technology with leading 5G companies at this year's 3GPP regular meeting.

SK Telecom ICT Technology Research Center Director Park Jin-hyo said, “The successful demonstration of 5G based on international standards is a global achievement made together with leading global ICT companies such as Ericsson and Qualcomm.” He added, “We will take the lead in early commercialization of 5G and lead changes in industry, society, and daily life through 5G.”