SKB Selected as Project Operator for New Optical Communication Technology Increasing Transmission Distance by 50%

SK Broadband announced on the 13th that it has been selected as the developer of new optical communication technology through winning a government national project.

The new technology being developed is a 100Gbps optical communication data transceiver technology characterized by high speed, miniaturization, and low power consumption. With a 50% improvement in transmission distance, companies can reduce equipment installation costs and increase investment efficiency, while customers can reliably enjoy high-capacity, high-quality ultra-high-speed internet services.

SK Namsan Building
Photo by SK Broadband

Additionally, by utilizing OTDR technology (a technology that transmits and receives signals to diagnose faults when optical cables are broken), it is possible to remotely identify and diagnose the location of faults without directly visiting the station in the event of unavoidable optical cable breaks caused by natural disasters or construction, thereby shortening processing time.

By applying optical amplification technology, transmission is possible up to 120 km without the need for relay equipment required for long-distance transmission (previously 80 km). The company explained that this also has environmental advantages such as reducing the floor space of communication stations and data centers and minimizing carbon emissions through temperature reduction.

Since April, SK Broadband has formed a consortium with SK Telecom and domestic small and medium enterprises such as HFR, Dionet, Oisolution, and Opticoa to participate in the "Optical Communication Component Demonstration Support Project for Intelligent Information Networks" led by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Information Society Agency. This is a government national project aimed at domestic production and commercialization of new optical communication technologies, with the project period lasting until the end of this year.

In addition to this project, SK Broadband has been steadily participating in various national projects such as "Next-Generation Internet Advancement," leading the development of ultra-high-speed internet technology in Korea and being selected as the top project operator for five consecutive years. Through participation in national projects, the company is also actively promoting win-win cooperation with small and medium enterprises. By establishing an open lab as a pilot network for optical communication components, domestic SMEs can freely test components they have developed themselves by providing a free testing environment. Through this, the company plans to support the development of new technologies by SMEs with technical capabilities and help domestic equipment gain global competitiveness.

Choi Seung-won, head of ICT infrastructure at SK Broadband, said, "This technology development is expected to dramatically improve data transmission distance and speed and establish a foundation to reliably provide high-capacity, high-quality services." He added, "We will continue to lead not only in pioneering technology development efforts but also in creating a virtuous industrial ecosystem by cooperating with SMEs in various ways."

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