Verification of interoperability between heterogeneous equipment through communication between Samsung Electronics' 5G base station and Qualcomm's 5G test terminal.

KT, together with Samsung Electronics and Qualcomm, announced that they have successfully demonstrated data communication based on the 5G NR (New Radio) standard, the 3GPP's international 5G standard, at Samsung Electronics Digital City in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. The demonstration, a collaborative effort between the three companies, will be exhibited at the three companies' booths at MWC 2018, which will be held in Barcelona, Spain, from February 26th.

The demonstration demonstrated ultra-high-speed 5G data communication and ultra-low latency of 1 ms. This performance is essential for future 5G services that require high-capacity data transmission and fast response times, such as VR/AR, real-time gaming, smart factories, and autonomous vehicles.

Notably, this demonstration utilized Samsung Electronics' 3GPP 5G NR standard-based 5G base station equipment, currently under development, and Qualcomm's 5G test terminals, in accordance with KT's multi-vendor testing guidelines. Notably, the simultaneous use of 3.5 GHz and 28 GHz, the frequencies used in the 5G standard, enabled verification of a technology level approaching 5G commercialization.

Meanwhile, KT formed the "5G Specifications Council (KT 5G SIG, Special Interest Group)" with global manufacturers including Samsung Electronics and Qualcomm, thereby fostering a robust 5G industry ecosystem. Furthermore, late last year, the company shared its expertise in the PyeongChang 5G SIG specifications with 3GPP, ensuring the early release of international standards. In addition, the three companies have been developing technologies based on previously disclosed standards for early commercialization of 5G, and have quickly applied the announced standards to upgrade base stations and terminals.

Seo Chang-seok, executive director of KT's network strategy division, said, "Through the joint demonstration with Samsung Electronics and Qualcomm, we are one step closer to commercializing 5G," and "KT will continue to develop new services and cooperate with global companies to commercialize 5G early."

“In order to commercialize 5G, it is very important to form an ecosystem in the industry, including cooperation between mobile carriers, network equipment manufacturers, terminal and chip manufacturers, and measuring instrument manufacturers,” said Jeon Kyung-hoon, Vice President and Head of Development Team at Samsung Electronics’ Network Business Division. “Samsung Electronics will strive to develop high-performance 5G commercial products so that you can enjoy 5G services as soon as possible.”

“The collaboration between global mobile industry leaders to validate technology is crucial for the commercialization of 5G NR in 2019,” said Cristiano Amon, president of Qualcomm Incorporated. “We are proud of the 5G test results we demonstrated with KT and Samsung Electronics, and we look forward to our continued collaboration to make 5G commercialization a reality.”