KT will give peeks into future at World IT Show

Holograms of singer Psy and dancers are screened at the Klive concert hall in Euljiro, Seoul, Jan. 16. The hall is capable of projecting holographic content. The venue and the concert were co-arranged by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, KT and YG Entertainment. / Courtesy of KT

By Yoon Sung-won

KT will envision the future of information and communications technology (ICT) as “GiGA Korea” at the 7th World IT Show (WIS) at BEXCO in Busan, starting Monday.

“It is a pleasure to present KT’s ICT caliber and our vision for the future before an audience from around the world,” said Oh Young-ho, vice president of public relations at KT. “We will allow participants look into the future of ICT based on our GiGA technology.”

WIS is a global IT exhibition drawing about 400 companies from 18 countries every year where they display their latest technology such as big data management, smart cars, wearable devices and Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

The KT saw more than 150,000 guests last year to experience the company’s cutting-edge technologies and services.

This year’s show has been organized as a sideline to the 19th International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference. Representatives from 193 countries will participate in the event that will run through Thursday.

KT said it will exhibit the ICT-based future with GiGA, a concept it promotes to describe the image of future where technologies make people’s lives easier and more comfortable.

Technologies for life and industry

In this file photo, farmers on Imja Island, South Jeolla Province, use smart devices to remotely handle farm products in a vinyl greenhouse with KT’s agricultural environment control system. / Courtesy of KT

KT’s GiGA Infra Zone is in the first corner of its booth this year where the company exhibits the wired and wireless telecommunication technologies it has developed during its history.

Here, the company will showcase GiGA long-term evolution (LTE), a wireless telecom technology that is capable of supporting a download speed of up to 300 megabits-per-second (Mbps).

GiGA LTE is made possible by the combination of gigabit Internet connectivity and tri-band carrier aggregation (3CA) technology that links three separate bandwidths to maximize data transfer speed.

KT will also display its long-range network technology dubbed “GiGA Submarine.”

At the GiGA Industry Zone, KT will promote its ICT infrastructure technology that can contribute to establishing a more eco-friendly and smart industry environment.

In this zone, the GiGA Restaurant service makes it possible to monitor information about managing a restaurant such as locations and status of delivery vehicles as well as food waste control.

At the same time, GiGA Energy technology is capable of significantly cutting energy consumption using the big data analysis and management technology. Its GiGA Market service allows companies to trade its business-to-business (B2B) solutions.

At the GiGA KOREA Zone, KT will exhibit a cloud-based genetic data analysis technology dubbed GiGA Lab, which can contribute to develop cures for genetic illnesses. The EyeWire, an online game which the company provides under the cooperation with a world-renowned brain researcher Sebastian Seung, a professor at Princeton University, is also be exhibited to show how research teams map the genetic structure of the human brain.

LTE Distance to Distance, or LTE D2D, an LTE network-based technology for disasters, can signify the location of possible survivors who wait for help in distress even when the wireless network is broken or damaged.

GiGA Home, the company’s smart home service, will show how its “smart butler” works to help people control home appliances such as televisions, lighting, heating and cooling devices using mobile devices.

At the center of the GiGA KOREA Zone, the company will exhibit its project at Imjado Island in South Jeolla Province to equip the island with ICT technology.

Leisure and entertainment

KT will exhibit “Klive,” a technology that can reproduce live shows by Korean pop stars including Big Bang, 2NE1 and Psy using holographic technology. The company said it expects the technology will contribute to promoting the Korean entertainment globally. It also said the technology can be useful in medicine, architecture, design and cultural asset preservation.

The company said it will also connect its technology to the nation’s 10th professional baseball team KT WIZ to offer more entertainment for sports fans. Using its GiGA Baseball service, users can watch the game in real-time, reserve tickets and even order food at the stadium, the company said.