August is drawing to a close. As the severe heatwave comes to an end, the three major telecommunications companies have been working hard to expand their respective core business areas.


SKT Building 5G Small Cell Ecosystem
SK Telecom is embarking on the development of a small 5G base station, a first for a domestic mobile carrier.

SK Telecom announced on the 23rd that it is participating in the 'Intelligent 5G Small Cell Technology Development Project' together with the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), domestic wireless communication equipment manufacturer Contella, and Ucast. This project is sponsored by the Ministry of Science and ICT and organized by ETRI.

A small cell is a compact wireless base station that provides network services within a radius of tens of meters, which is smaller than that of a standard base station. It is necessary to provide stable communication services inside buildings where radio waves from large base stations do not reach.

5G frequencies operate in the ultra-high frequency band, resulting in a high signal loss rate. This can cause communication blind spots even indoors. This is why research and the introduction of small cells are necessary in 5G networks.

In this project, SK Telecom establishes the requirements specifications for the development of small cell systems. It also provides ETRI and equipment manufacturers with a test environment for verifying small cell equipment. ETRI develops the software, while Contella and Ucast develop the hardware.
A joint research team including SK Telecom plans to create open APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for small cells. This will relieve small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups of the burden of developing their own interfaces, and allows for the launch of various new services.

Based on the results of this research, SK Telecom and ETRI plan to develop international standard technologies in the small cell field and secure source patents.

Park Jong-kwan, Head of Network Technology at SK Telecom, said, “In the 5G era, 80% of total traffic is expected to occur indoors,” adding, “SK Telecom will take the lead in developing 5G technology so that customers can fully enjoy services such as VR and holograms.”


KT Disaster Safety Platform Improving Public Services
KT is introducing a disaster safety platform tailored to each stage and type of disaster, from prevention to post-disaster response.

KT will participate in the 'Innovation Growth Advanced Technology Exhibition' held at the Government Complex Seoul on the 28th and 29th. At this exhibition, KT plans to introduce technologies for its disaster safety platform, one of its future core businesses, by organizing its booth around Skyship Platform, AR Glass, Air Map Platform, and SafeMate.
The 'Skyship Platform' unveiled by KT on this day consists of the unmanned airship 'Skyship,' the 'Skyship C3 Station (Skyship Command, Control & Communication Station)' capable of remotely controlling, maneuvering, and communicating with the Skyship, and Skyship drones and robots for performing specific missions. The Skyship Platform supports rapid rescue operations in disaster situations by searching for survivors in areas with limited visibility, acting as a mobile base station in areas without communication, and delivering relief supplies.