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KT successfully runs 5G network on train

KT succeeded in establishing a high-speed wireless internet network, the so-called 5G network, in a moving train, it said Wednesday.

The next-generation 5G network is an upgrade from the current LTE (long-term evolution) network.

The mobile carrier ran a field test for the 5G network in a train on the Airport Railroad, which connects central areas of Seoul with the Incheon International Airport. Thanks to the network, data transmission speed exceeded 4 gigabits per second during the test. The speed is comparable to downloading a 1.5 gigabyte movie in three to four seconds.

The field test was an important step toward demonstrating a stable 5G network for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games, according to the mobile carrier. KT is the official telecommunications partner of next February’s sporting event and is tasked with establishing the top-notch network service in the events area.

With the new network, KT hopes to broadcast live high-speed sports like ski jumping and bobsleigh racing without delays. The Games are an important stepping stone in the company’s goals of achieving its proposed target of commercializing 5G by 2019 and being the first in the world to do so.

The field test was held in partnership with telecommunications equipment provider Ericsson and the Airport Railroad Corporation. Several more field tests are scheduled in subways and express trains before the Olympics, KT said in statement.

BY KIM JEE-HEE [kim.jeehee@joongang.co.kr]