KT, Samsung, Verizon successfully conduct 5G live video call

KT Chairman Hwang Chang-gyu talks, from Seoul, with Verizon Chairman Lowell McAdam, in Minnesota, on prototype 5G tablets developed by Samsung Electronics during Super Bowl LII, Sunday (local time). / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics

By Kang Seung-woo

KT, Verizon and Samsung Electronics successfully showcased the next-generation mobile technology during Super Bowl LII, Sunday (local time).

According to the nation’s No. 1 fixed-line operator, KT Chairman Hwang Chang-gyu and Verizon Chairman Lowell McAdam conducted the first-ever real-time fifth-generation (5G) video call through two 5G-capable tablet devices developed by Samsung. Hwang was in Seoul while McAdam was in Minnesota.

The 5G network is forecast to enable a data transmission speed that is 100 times faster than current networks amid expectations that it will generate a major economic impact.

Hwang participated in the international call from Seoul and McAdam from Minneapolis, Minn., where the Philadelphia Eagles met the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.

The three companies have been working closely on 5G research since 2015, including Verizon’s 5G Technical Forum (5GTF) and KT’s PyeongChang 5G Special Interest Group (5G SIG), which collectively released early 5G specifications to build a strong 5G ecosystem.

According to a joint press statement, the 5G international video connection shows how close commercial 5G mobile devices and connectivity are.

“The successful 5G transmission over prototype 5G devices is the result of ongoing collaboration between the three technology leaders,” Hwang said.

McAdam was also quoted by KT as saying the trilateral collaboration with KT and Samsung helped bring the 5G service to the biggest American sporting event.

McAdam and other Verizon representatives experienced KT’s omni-point view, while Hwang and his staffers had virtual reality (VR) experience of U.S. Bank Stadium with VR headsets.

The omni-point view service, which is one of the five 5G-driven visual technologies KT plans to provide during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, allows viewers to catch up with a certain athlete’s performance -- such as ranking -- in real time.

“This demonstration conducted today with KT and Verizon represents a huge milestone for us, showing our contribution to the development of early 5G global specifications and the third Generation Partnership Project New Radio, and spotlighting the next generation Samsung technologies that let operators implement robust new services,” said Kim Woo-june, Samsung’s senior vice president and head of North American Business.