Maximum speed 4.8Gbps Wi-Fi service
The usable frequency bandwidth is also double that of the existing
Utilizing SK Broadband's 10Gbps technology
SK Telecom announced on the 17th that it is commercializing 'T Wi-Fi AX', a next-generation Wi-Fi service that is four times faster than the existing one.

T Wi-Fi AX is a Wi-Fi service based on the 802.11.ax standard, providing speeds of up to 4.8Gbps per AP. This is approximately four times faster than Giga Wi-Fi (802.11ac Wave1, 1.3Gbps), which was commercialized in 2013.

Smartphones released to date are not equipped with 802.11.ax chips, so their maximum speed is 1Gbps, which is approximately 1.2 times faster than the existing 866Mbps. Flagship smartphones scheduled for release next year are expected to see maximum speeds increase to 1.2Gbps due to improved data communication efficiency. As the hardware performance of subsequently released smartphones improves, customers will be able to enjoy even faster Wi-Fi services.

Customers using major flagship smartphones released after the Galaxy S8 can use the faster Wi-Fi service without any separate measures. Customers using smartphones that do not support T Wi-Fi AX can use Wi-Fi just as before, and enjoy the benefits of improved perceived speed due to traffic distribution and network optimization.

SK Telecom has established a commercial network centered on key commercial areas with high Wi-Fi usage, such as COEX in Samseong-dong, Seoul, and U-Square in Gwangju, and plans to expand coverage to data traffic-dense areas nationwide.

T Wi-Fi AX utilizes the nation's first commercially available access point (AP) officially certified by the government. The AP received electromagnetic compatibility certification from the National Radio Research Institute and final equipment approval from the Ministry of Science and ICT in late August.

SK Telecom developed the 802.11ax technology and AP, the next-generation Wi-Fi standard set by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), for the first time in Korea last October. Since then, it has successfully developed a commercial AP by conducting performance tests in various real-world usage environments, including Wi-Fi interference.

T Wi-Fi AX transmits and receives radio waves using four antennas, and its usable frequency bandwidth is 160MHz, which is double that of existing Giga Wi-Fi. It utilizes the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands. In particular, it is equipped with various technologies that enable more stable wireless Wi-Fi service even in environments with high traffic density. Technologies such as simultaneous data transmission to multiple users (OFDMA, MU-MIMO) and Wi-Fi performance improvement in AP congestion areas (DSC) have been applied.

SK Telecom utilizes SK Broadband's 10 Gigabit (Gbps) internet-based technology to achieve the maximum speed of T Wi-Fi AX. Since 10 Gigabit internet provides speeds 10 times faster than existing Gigabit internet (1 Gbps), it can provide stable quality even in areas with high traffic density. SK Broadband's 10 Gigabit Internet can increase the maximum speed to 40 Gbps by utilizing existing optical cables when applying 'NG-PON2' technology, an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) standard technology.

SK Telecom’s Infrastructure Support Group Head, Ryu Jeong-hwan, stated, “We expect to be able to provide our customers with a higher level of service by applying faster next-generation Wi-Fi technology to commercial services,” adding, “We will continue to strive to be the first to provide advanced services in the future.”