SKT, Ericsson demonstrate key 5G technology

South Korea’s leading mobile carrier SK Telecom and network equipment maker Ericsson gave a demonstration of an advanced small cell technology with super-low latency in Stockholm, Tuesday.

The small cell base stations enable network operators to increase coverage more efficiently compared to macrocell base stations -- widely used for the existing networks -- and are regarded as one of the key technologies for the next-generation 5G network.

The new small cell technology increases communications efficiency by 215 percent, according to the Korean telecom firm.

The successful demonstration is expected to pave the way for SKT to root out possible problems due to network interference between base stations.

Since the next generation network requires a high density of 5G base stations, the small cell technology will play a core role in transmitting quality content over the networks without glitches.

“The two partners have finally found solutions to iron out issues stemming from network interference,” Choi Jin-sung, the head of SK Telecom’s research and development center, said in a press release, vowing to continue to push for the development of 5G technologies.

Having pledged to cooperate on 5G network technologies in June last year, SKT and Ericsson are testing wireless network systems with network speeds of 5Gbps or faster and those that make the current Long-Term Evolution and the 5G network compatible with each other.

The two companies plan to deploy the small cell technology in the coming years and start a trial run of the 5G network in 2018 at the earliest.

“The latest demonstration showed that the two partners are inching closer to the commercialization of 5G network services,” said Thomas Noren, head of Ericsson’s radio product management, adding that the firms would work together to develop core technologies and lead the 5G market.

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