Opens 100-pyeong test lab in Seongnam Bundang
Final gateway for highest-quality 5G devices

SK Telecom announced on the 4th that it has opened the '5G Device Test Lab,' the final gateway for testing 5G device performance, at its Seongnam Bundang headquarters.

The 5G Device Test Lab, with a floor area of 300m², is a test bed equipped with measurement equipment, laboratories, conference rooms, and staffed with specialized personnel conducting quality verification.

Inside the laboratory are 5G base stations, repeaters, measurement instruments for radio wave testing, and electromagnetic field measurement equipment. Additionally, it is enclosed by radio wave shielding walls made of steel plates 25cm thick, which completely block external frequency signals and enable accurate testing.

SK Telecom stated that as the variety of 5G devices is increasing—not only smartphones but also automotive telematics, IoT devices, and industrial dongles—it established the test lab to secure the highest communication quality through rigorous actual testing.

Before launching a 5G device, SK Telecom and device manufacturers test approximately 10,000 items including frequency compliance and interface verification. For each item, repeated experiments are conducted up to five times or more.

SK Telecom researchers verify frequency compliance and performance through RF testing and protocol testing, from sub-6GHz bands to mmWave (frequency bands above 6GHz) ultra-wideband frequencies.

Once 5G network interoperability verification is complete, a virtual environment with weak radio wave coverage is created and testing is conducted across approximately 100 different scenarios. For example, conducting video calls while simultaneously running dozens of applications from a distance far from a 5G base station.

Once all tests pass in the laboratory, the verification process continues meticulously, including going around areas such as mountains and underground passages to measure whether 5G smartphones lose connectivity.

SK Telecom plans to support small and medium-sized device manufacturers by allowing them to use test equipment at no charge to accelerate 5G ecosystem expansion. Any company manufacturing 5G devices or modules—not just smartphones but also industrial terminals, wearable terminals, and IoT terminals—can use the facility.

SK Telecom expects the 5G Device Test Lab to be of great help to small, medium, and venture companies that have developed innovative devices but face difficulties in test verification and operation due to most 5G measurement equipment being high-cost.

Park Jong-gwan, head of SK Telecom's Network Technology Division, stated: "By opening the 5G Device Test Lab, we expect that many manufacturers, from large corporations to small and medium-sized and venture companies, will be able to launch innovative devices, playing a major role in expanding the 5G ecosystem."