SKT, KT to show off world’s best 5G at Shanghai MWC

SK Telecom and KT, the country's two leading mobile telecommunications carriers, are set to demonstrate their world-class 5G network technology at Mobile World Congress in Shanghai, Asia’s biggest mobile communications expo, to be launching in Shanghai on Wednesday.

The annual Shanghai congress has been organized by GSMA since 2012. This year’s main theme is “Mobile is Me," indicating how today’s mobile technology is deeply ingrained in individuals’ lives. The number of participants is expected to be around 1,000, nearly twice that of last year’s 550.

SK Telecom CEO Jang Dong-hyun will be introducing the firm’s 5G technology as well as the IoT dedicated network, at the Asia CEO Roundtable. He will be also demonstrating the world’s fastest 26.9Gbps 5G technology together with Ericsson, a communications equipment provider, and announce the prospects and solutions for smart cities in the IoT era.

Meanwhile, KT is scheduled to demonstrate a Millimeter Wave-based 5G technology, which enables transmission speed 60 times faster than LTE network. At the “Giga IoT” booth, Coway, Korea's largest home appliance rental service firm, will display its “Smart Air Care Service,” which informs outdoor air quality in real time and advises ventilation or air cleaning via smart phone.

At the “Safety Drone” booth, drones will be showing personal information of visitors by recognizing their face with a camera equipped on the drone.

The two telecom giants have also prepared a separate display space for Korean start-ups. SK Telecom has invited 14 Korean start-ups including Archidraw, developer of a technology that transforms two-dimensional pictures into three-dimensional or virtual reality videos. It plans to support translation, travel expenses, and host business meetings. KT has also invited three start-ups including Misco VCT, which developed an application that helps find empty parking space with IoT technology.

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