SKT Develops Front-Haul Technology, the 'Capillaries of Mobile Communication'

Maximum Transmission Speed of up to 25Gbps Used in Front Hall

SK Telecom (SKT) announced on the 11th that it has developed wavelength expansion technology necessary for high-speed transmission of the front haul, which is called the "capillary of mobile communication." The front haul is a wired network that connects the central unit (DU) of a 5G base station with distributed radio units (RU).

The "Front Haul High-Speed Transmission Available Wavelength Expansion Technology" was jointly developed by SKT, optical transceiver module manufacturer Oisolution, and ultra-high-speed communication solution specialist Pointotech.

A representative from Oisolution is demonstrating the 'Front-Haul High-Speed Transmission Available Wavelength Expansion Technology' developed in collaboration with SKT.

After the commercialization of 5G, continuous technological development of base station equipment increased the transmission speed of the optical communication network constituting the front haul from a maximum of 10Gbps to up to 25Gbps. However, when transmitting optical signals at speeds exceeding 25Gbps, the optical signal bandwidth in some wavelength bands would spread, causing signal quality degradation due to mutual interference and limitations on maximum transmission distance.

To solve this, SKT collaborated with Oisolution and Pointotech to develop an optical transceiver solution with built-in dispersion compensation functionality that addresses the phenomenon of optical signal bandwidth broadening, thereby securing the "Front Haul High-Speed Transmission Available Wavelength Expansion Technology." The optical transceiver converts electrical signals into light signals and vice versa between the optical cables connecting the optical communication network and the transmission equipment responsible for data transmission.

SKT explained, "With the development of the 'Front Haul High-Speed Transmission Available Wavelength Expansion Technology,' the wavelength band available for 25Gbps-class transmission speeds in the front haul has been dramatically increased," adding, "This enables proactive response to transmission speed expansion not only for 5G but also for future 6G networks." The newly developed technology can be applied to existing base station networks without redesigning the front haul, allowing nationwide 5G front hauls to be upgraded without time and cost burdens.

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