SK Telecom to offer 10x faster processing breakthrough for 5G standardization consideration

In a surprise to no one, SK Telecom is boasting yet another technology win in having developed a “breakthrough technology” that will help 5G process data traffic 10 times faster than LTE, and it’s hoping the 3GPP and ETSI will adopt it as part of the global 5G standard.

The technology enables packet switching equipment to process high-volume traffic at “breakneck speed” in 5G networks, according to SK Telecom. Packet switching equipment serves as a gateway for both voice and data traffic generated from mobile devices to access wireless networks.  

In the existing LTE network, the maximum speed for packet switching per server is 20 gigabits per second. With this technology, the speed will reach 200 gigabits per second at the same server and can even break the terabit-per-second barrier with the addition of virtual servers, according to the mobile operator.

SK says the network innovation it developed is the world’s first implementation of the terabit-per-second capability for packet switching.

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In addition, the new technology helps make packet switching equipment compact, so network operators can deploy them at base stations and therefore implement ultralow latency for more traffic in 5G services.

“Ultra-fast packet processing technology is essential in delivering best quality of 5G services,” said Park Jin-hyo, senior vice president and head of Network Technology R&D Center at SK Telecom, in a statement. “It is a significant result for SK Telecom as this virtualization-based high performing equipment could enable us to deliver a faster, efficient 5G rollout.”

SK has been an early 5G evangelizer and said it plans to propose its new development to 3GPP and the ETSI Network Functions Virtualization Industry Specification Group as a candidate for the global standard.

International operators are also invited to learn more about collaboration opportunities. SK Telecom, for one, is hosting a meeting with various stakeholders this month to showcase its capabilities in 5G network operations.

Earlier this year, SK Telecom declared that it had successfully acquired all the essential technologies necessary for 5G commercialization using 3.5 GHz and 28 GHz frequencies.

Last year, SK Telecom and Verizon Wireless inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to conduct joint studies and advance the standardization process for 5G. The pact came after the two formed a global initiative called the 5G Open Trial Specification Alliance in February 2016.

South Korean rival KT Corporation is collaborating with Intel to develop a 5G showcase for the 2018 Olympics Winter Games in PyeongChang, where the operator has set up cameras for delivering immersive experiences. KT vows to deliver the first broad-scale 5G network paired with Intel 5G technologies that will enable a series of immersive on-site 5G-powered experiences.