SK Telecom Builds 5G Network at Southernmost 'Ieodo' Ocean Science Base

SK Telecom engineers are inspecting the 5G base station at the Ieodo Ocean Research Station. [Photo by SK Telecom]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] SK Telecom announced on the 8th that it has established the country's first 5G base station at the Ieodo Ocean Research Station, located at the southernmost tip of South Korea.

The Ieodo Ocean Research Station is built on Ieodo, about 150 km southwest of Marado, the southernmost island, and serves as a site for marine research and meteorological observation in South Korea.

It used to take a long time to transmit data such as sea temperature, wave height, wind speed, and radiation monitored in real-time at the ocean research station to the Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Agency. Additionally, due to the climate where fog occurs more than one-third of the year, smooth communication service usage was difficult.

To overcome this, SK Telecom provided the ocean research station with ▲5G infrastructure construction ▲expansion of transmission networks to link satellite communication networks with 5G networks ▲support for integration with CCTV within the station.

Through this, the ocean research station can quickly collect and analyze digital location and information between exploration vessels and marine measuring equipment around the station, and provide this data in real-time to researchers' tablets or mobile phones.

SK Telecom explained, "Engineers at the Ieodo Ocean Research Station can monitor the station's status and inspect and maintain vessel operation management, including exploration vessels and underwater gliders, without physically visiting the station." In addition to marine observation, ultra-high-definition CCTV enables real-time detection of abnormal signs around Ieodo.

Kang Jong-ryeol, head of SK Telecom's ICT Infra Center, said, "We will continue to make efforts to provide high-quality 5G services in various living areas, including land and sea."

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