'Real 5G' Competition Kicks Off... Carriers Now Battle Over SA

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Jo] Domestic mobile carriers, which have been fiercely competing since the world's first commercialization of 5G, have now entered the competition for 'real 5G.' They plan to commercialize the standalone architecture (SA), regarded as 'real 5G,' by the first half of this year. Currently, 5G networks use parts of the LTE system, but the goal is to build the entire network with 5G. In this case, users' perceived speeds are expected to be more than twice as fast.

According to the industry on the 1st, SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus have set a goal to commercialize 5G SA within the first half of this year. SK Telecom previously succeeded in implementing '5G SA' communication using 5G equipment from Samsung, Ericsson, and others in the 5G commercial network in the Busan area. Notably, the significance lies in configuring the 5G SA network with 5G equipment from different manufacturers. The company explained that they proved that rapid '5G SA' is possible through software upgrades alone without replacing base stations.

KT is also accelerating the commercialization of 5G SA in the first half of the year. Since it already possesses CUPS-structured core equipment, no new core equipment is needed when switching to SA. The CUPS structure refers to a technology that separates devices responsible for signaling processing and devices responsible for user traffic processing, allowing independent construction and expansion of each device regardless of location. KT plans to promote commercialization within the first half of the year while conducting core-access interworking tests.

LG Uplus has also succeeded in demonstrating 5G services by conducting interworking tests of core equipment, base station equipment, and auxiliary equipment from various equipment companies.

The telecommunications industry expects that with the commercialization of 5G SA, connections in sections linked to LTE networks will be seamless, doubling connection times and tripling data processing efficiency compared to the current state. In the 5G commercialized last year, some sections connecting base stations and exchanges were still LTE. Once 5G SA is fully commercialized, users will be able to enjoy content such as virtual and augmented reality (VR·AR) more conveniently, and it is expected to contribute to the development of industries such as autonomous driving and smart factories.

However, it is expected to take quite some time before all consumers can immediately experience 5G SA. An industry official said, "5G SA must be commercialized nationwide, and devices released must support 5G SA for it to be possible," adding, "In the early stages, 'real 5G' will mainly be enjoyed through business-to-business (B2B) transactions."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.