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South Korean operator deploys mmWave trial network in partnership with Ericsson, BMW.
SK Telecom this week showed off what it claims is the world’s first 5G connected car, which makes use of high-speed mobile connectivity to improve driver safety.
Using equipment supplied by Ericsson, the South Korean operator has deployed what it calls a 5G trial network – based on millimetre-wave (mmWave) spectrum in the 28 GHz band – at a BMW test track in Yeongjong Island, Incheon.
The network covers 240,000 square metres, supports peak data rates of 20 Gbps, and boasts sub-1-millisecond latency.
With the network in place, SK Telecom equipped a BMW dubbed ‘T5’ with 5G and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technologies, enabling it to communicate with other vehicles and the surrounding environment.
In a statement on Tuesday, SK Telecom said it demonstrated T5’s ability "to observe road conditions enabled by [a] state-of-the-art video recognition camera", which provided notifications and assistance to drivers.
"5G will offer much more than just faster data speeds. It will serve as a true enabler for a whole new variety of powerful services that deliver unprecedented value to customers," said Alex Jinsung Choi, CTO and head of SK Telecom’s corporate R&D centre.
Tuesday’s announcement comes less than a week after SK Telecom joined the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA), a recently-established industry group that aims to develop, test and promote communications solutions that will enable a range of connected vehicle services, including driverless cars.
