December 04, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR] SK Telecom and Samsung Electronics announced on Oct. 15 that they have completed a joint project to make the first 5G call in Korea, kicking it up a notch in the race to commercialize the next-generation service.

Completing the first call is a step to test whether data transactions can be done without a hitch before commercialization.

Their first 5G call, utilizing the new 3GPP 5G radio standards and 3.5GHz spectrum, was made at SKT’s laboratory in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province.

The companies said they will try to test run their 5G technology on the field soon to make sure the service properly works in any environment.

Global telecom companies and network equipment makers have completed their own first 5G call, but the two Korean companies claimed their technology is one of the closest to commercialization.

“I believe SKT is months ahead of other rivals in the 5G race as it has moved fast to conduct research and development projects, pick equipment partners and complete the first call,” said Park Jin-hyo, chief of SKT’s ICT R&D Center.

Among the companies that aim to take the lead in commercialization of the 5G network are Huawei, Ericsson, Qualcomm, and Vodafone.

“The first call utilizing devices ready for commercialization showed the technical prowess of both companies,” said Samsung Vice President Jeon Gyeong-hoon.

By Kim Young-won (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)