Mobile carriers prepare cutting-edge ICT tech to support upcoming inter-Korean talks

South Korea’s mobile carriers on Monday are preparing their cutting-edge network infrastructure to make the historic third summit between South and North Korea via the fifth-generation network as immersive as possible to viewers around the world.

KT has been installing broadcasting and telecommunicating network systems at Panmunjeom.

The company said Monday it signed an agreement with Cheong Wa Dae’s preparatory committee for the summit to provide technological support for the inter-Korean talks as the main overseer of all network infrastructure for the event. 
 

KT will build a 5G network station as well as the broadcasting network at Kintex in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, where a press center will be set up for around 3,000 journalists from around the world to watch live the meeting between the heads of the two Koreas.

Through the 5G system, an after-talks briefing at Panmunjeom will be streamed live in the form of 360-degree virtual reality content on Samsung Electronics’ 5G tablet PCs and VR googles, which will deliver details of the summit venue to journalists on stand-by in Ilsan.

“KT has been playing a central role in building trust between the South and North by providing quality network services for the past 47 years,” said Oh Seong-mok, president of network business at KT. “Our 5G technologies will help further strengthen the relations and bring peace to the Korean peninsula.”

The first direct hot-line between the South and North was set up by KT in 1971. And in 2005, the first optical network connection with the North was made by the mobile carrier. It also supported the previous two inter-Korean summits in 2000 and 2007.

KT will also introduce other 5G-enabled services to the incoming foreign media outlets by running 5G-based shuttle buses from Wednesday through Friday, including 5G Robot Arm, a robot controlling technology, and 5G Connected Speed, a racing game.

SK Telecom is also working to set up its 5G infrastructure and exhibition booth at Kintex for global media crew.

A 199-inch smart wall will be installed inside the press center, which up to 16 users can view videos that they want and check news headlines.

SKT will also be providing the 360-degree VR view service by preparing head mounted display devices that will provide 8K picture quality for delivery of the summit briefing.

“SKT’s VR streaming will be differentiated with its Viewport feature,” an SKT official said. “It will automatically raise the definition of where a user looks with the goggle on, helping improve picture quality of VR content,” an SKT official explained.”

“Although we are not installing our network at Panmunjeom, we will focus on using this major opportunity to promote our ICT technologies to global media,” the official said.

By Song Su-hyun  (song@herladcorp.com)