Chairman Hwang Chang-kyu visits Pyeongchang to encourage staff preparing the Olympic broadcasting network

KT announced that Chairman Hwang Chang-kyu encouraged employees in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, who are preparing the broadcasting network for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics and the 5G pilot network. KT is responsible for operating the competition's telecommunications and broadcasting networks for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics and is preparing for the world's first 5G pilot service by building a 5G network in the PyeongChang and Gangneung areas. Approximately 100 members of KT's university student supporters group, 'Mobile Futurists (MF),' also visited PyeongChang to mark the start of a promotional campaign for the successful hosting of the Games.

Chairman Hwang Chang-kyu previously visited Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province in mid-November to inspect network readiness after the construction of the Games broadcasting network and 5G network was completed. During this visit to Pyeongchang, which was made to encourage employees working hard in the bitter cold, Chairman Hwang presented "heated vests" with high insulation capabilities.

The heated vests provided this time provide heat for up to 18 hours, making them very useful cold-weather gear for field staff who have to work in extreme cold. The heated vests were provided to approximately 900 employees of KT, its group companies, and partner companies who are preparing for the Games in Pyeongchang, Gangneung, and other locations.

KT, the official telecommunications partner of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, deployed a significant number of personnel early on to ensure the perfect operation of the competition's telecommunications and broadcasting networks and to showcase the world's first 5G pilot service. The 'Pyeongchang 5G' Center was already opened at the Pyeongchang Alpensia Ski Jumping Center in November 2016 to conduct research and demonstration of 5G technology.

In addition, preparations for the competition communication network and broadcast relay network were completed in June 2017, and in late October 2017, a 5G network was built and interoperability tests with 5G terminals were completed.

Since signing the telecommunications supply contract in December 2015, KT has deployed a total of approximately 130,000 personnel over a period of about two years for network construction, technology testing, and system operation. In addition, starting from the end of January, more than 1,000 personnel are scheduled to be active for network operation and maintenance, as well as system operation.

Chairman Hwang Chang-gyu took the KTX train from Seoul to Pyeongchang (Jinbu) prior to attending an employee encouragement event in Pyeongchang. This was to check network quality on the KTX between Seoul and Gangneung, as well as to personally verify the Railway Integrated Wireless Network (LTE-R) implemented by KT on the Wonju-Gangneung section.

KT newly installed and expanded approximately 700 base stations and repeaters on the Incheon Airport-Gangneung KTX line to provide seamless wireless services on the KTX, which opened ahead of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. 'LTE-R (Railway),' based on LTE technology, is a system that wirelessly connects trains to trains, trains to the ground (station), and ground to ground. The LTE-R system built on the Wonju-Gangneung section applied MCPTT radio terminal services, such as interception and priority assignment, for the first time in the world based on the international standard (3GPP Rel.13).

Meanwhile, on the afternoon of the same day, about 100 KT Mobile Futurists held a launching ceremony for a promotional campaign to generate national interest in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics at Uiyaji Village in PyeongChang. Launched in 2003, 'Mobile Futurist' is regarded as Korea's leading university student supporter program and a practical talent development program that allows participants to properly experience corporate work. Uiyaji Village, where the launching ceremony took place, was developed into the 'Pyeongchang 5G Village,' featuring the world's first 5G network with KT at the forefront.

Prior to the send-off ceremony, approximately 100 Mobile Futurists performed a group flash mob to cheer for the successful hosting of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. During the subsequent ceremony, they pledged to generate national interest in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics and actively promote the world's first 5G pilot service that KT is showcasing in PyeongChang. The Mobile Futurists plan to conduct promotional activities across the country using various campaigns and digital content until the end of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

KT Chairman Hwang Chang-kyu said, “The perceived temperature this winter is lower than in previous years, and the cold in Pyeongchang is particularly severe, so the staff preparing for the Games are having a very hard time,” adding, “I hope the staff will prepare for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics with passion, just like a warm heated vest, and I hope that public interest in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics will also gradually heat up.”