Opening of 5G Open Lab Encompassing Infrastructure, Media, and Convergence
Korea-China-Japan SCFA 5G Technology Strategy Conference Held in Seoul
Wave of Events for World's First 5G Commercialization
On the 4th, KT announced that on the occasion of the 555th day since its 5G commercialization declaration, it will review preparations for 5G commercialization and undertake various activities including the opening of the '5G Open Lab' to activate the 5G ecosystem and promote 5G awareness.

On this day, KT established a '5G Open Lab' at the KT Research and Development Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul to support cooperation and discovery of new ideas from various domestic and international sectors as a first step in early activation of the 5G ecosystem, and held an opening ceremony attended by Chairman Hwang Chang-gyu and other executives as well as partner company representatives.

The 5G Open Lab is a collaborative space where KT works with partner companies to develop innovative 5G services, consisting of three development spaces—Infrastructure Zone, Media Zone, and Smart X Zone—and an exhibition space.

The Infrastructure Zone is a development and testing space for 5G-related infrastructure and virtualization technology. The Media Zone is a space for experiencing and developing immersive media and entertainment services such as AR/VR for 5G. The Smart X Zone is a space for developing and testing various IoT-related application services. Any company interested in 5G service development can participate to plan, develop, and verify services, and can directly experience various enterprise services and solutions in the exhibition space.

In addition to the opening of the 5G Open Lab, KT will promote 5G awareness through diverse events over five weeks.

First, KT will host the 'SCFA (Strategic Cooperation Framework Agreement) 5G Technology Strategy Conference' with telecom operators from Korea, China, and Japan in Seoul from the 5th to the 6th. SCFA is Asia's largest strategic consultation body among telecom operators, established in 2011. At this conference, representatives from the 5G technology development sectors of three companies—KT, China Mobile, and NTT DoCoMo—will attend to discuss 5G commercialization strategies and specialized 5G technologies.

As the only domestic telecom operator, KT will participate in 'MWC America 2018' to be held in Los Angeles, USA from September 12th for three days, promoting KT's 5G technology to the global market and discussing cooperation plans with global ICT companies.

KT has also prepared events for general customers. KT will host the '2018 VOYAGE to Jarasum' festival on Jarasum island in Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do for two days starting September 15th. In addition to performances by domestic and international artists, KT will operate an experience space where visitors can encounter KT's 5G innovative technology. Additionally, at the talk concert '#YouthSea,' which KT is conducting to support younger generations, KT will continue to introduce its 5G services. Performances are scheduled for September 14th at Gwanghwamun Plaza and early October in Busan.

Furthermore, the final announcement and awards ceremony of 'Link-on Award,' a content competition for immersive media, a core 5G service, will be held on October 2nd. The Link-on Award is a competition with total prize money of 100 million won, and award winners will receive not only prize money but also opportunities such as content distribution in KT's VR theme park 'VRIGHT' and participation in domestic and international exhibitions.

At the 5G Open Lab opening ceremony, KT Chairman Hwang Chang-gyu stated, "Since KT's 5G commercialization declaration in 2017, through the world's first trial service at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, KT has pioneered the 5G era," and added, "Let us ensure the world's first 5G commercialization succeeds through building a healthy ecosystem with our partners, not through KT's efforts alone."