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| Members of the 119 rescue squad of Wonju, Gangwon Province, demonstrate equipment of KT's Skyship platform specializing in disaster and safety management. The company said the platform will help the rescue squad speed up search and rescue operations. / Courtesy of KT |
By Jun Ji-hye
WONJU, Gangwon Province _ KT unveiled its disaster and safety management platform based on the firm's distinguished network infrastructure and ICT strengths, Monday.
The nation's biggest fixed-line internet operator and second-largest mobile carrier said its Skyship platform, embedded with the Skyscan system using mobile phone signals, will contribute significantly to reducing the response time for search and rescue operations in the early stage.
The platform currently uses long-term evolution (LTE) networks, the company said, noting it will be further improved when it is connected to fifth-generation (5G) networks scheduled to be commercialized in March 2019.
The Skyship platform comprises an unmanned airship, called Skyship, and a C3 (command, control and communication) station as well as drones and robots, Oh Seong-mok, president of KT's network business, explained during a news conference held at the firm's training institute in Wonju, Gangwon Province.
The unmanned airship, equipped with high-resolution thermal imaging cameras and drones, has been co-developed by KT and Metismake, a local company specializing in unmanned aerial technology.
The Skyscan system, which is also mounted to the airship, explores mobile phone signals of those in distress.
"The system helps narrow the search area down, enabling a rescue team to conduct rescue operations more promptly," Oh said.
Once the mobile signals are connected to telecom companies' databases, a rescue team will be able to confirm the name, age and other personal information of those in distress, Oh said, adding that the team will also be able to give more accurate and effective first aid once the system is connected to medical institutions' databases offering information such as blood type and medical history.
During the news conference, the firm gave a demonstration of the Skyship platform in cooperation with Ajou University Hospital's trauma center and the 119 rescue team of Wonju.
During the demonstration, a rescue team member wore augmented reality (AR) glasses, enabling him to send high-quality images of a patient to a trauma center physician in real time, and the doctor to conduct remote medical treatment.
Oh said the firm will continue to improve the platform, saying the low latency communication technology in the 5G era will make ultra-scale connectivity possible.
"The 4K UHD images can be sent through the 5G networks, which will enable parties involved with rescue operations and medical services to better understand details of the situation," Oh said.
During a national frequency auction for 5G networks earlier this month, the firm was awarded 100 megahertz of bandwidth on the 3.5-gigahertz spectrum and 800 megahertz of bandwidth on the 28-gigahertz spectrum.
The firm said it will complete the 5G-based disaster and safety platform by 2020.
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