KT has confirmed that 5G technology will be available during the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, and unveiled the services users might expect to see two years from now.
Speaking at a keynote session at the Mobile World Congress Shanghai on Wednesday, KT executive vice president Dongmyun Lee said 5G services to be offered during the Olympics will include a 5G-linked drone equipped with a video camera.
Lee said KT conducted a technical trial in September 2015, during which images were sent back from the top of a ski jump tower and the subsequent route down to ground level. Thanks to 5G technology, this allows viewers to experience the games from the athlete’s point of view, he said.
KT also promises to offer the possibility to view live holograms of the athletes, as well as so-called “omni-view” camera angles through which viewers can choose to watch an event from multiple points of view.
Lee said 5G technology enables the collection of vast amount of performance data, or sports data, which will benefit fans, athletes and coaches.
The executive said Pyeongchang 2018 will be the first 5G Olympic Games ever. KT announced earlier it would launch commercial 5G services in 2020.
The operator has trialed a number of 5G services, such as 5G safety, 360 VR, live hologram, and interactive multi-view, and plans to test broadcasting services, experiential services and IoT services in 2017, Lee added.
In April, KT and NEC completed a proof-of-concept trial for a 5G wireless backhaul system using E-Band 70-GHz to 80-GHz spectrum.
The trial was conducted at the Phoenix Park Ski World resort in South Korea's Pyeongchang using KT's commercial mobile infrastructure.