KT announced on Wednesday that it has successfully demonstrated AI-based next-generation wireless transmission and reception technology in partnership with global wireless communication leader Qualcomm Incorporated and German telecommunications equipment manufacturer Rohde & Schwarz.
This AI-based next-generation wireless technology focuses on AI-driven Channel State Information (CSI) compression, which is currently under development by the international standardization body, 3GPP, in Release 20.
The AI learns the complex wireless environment between base stations and devices, dramatically improving the accuracy of channel state information transmitted from devices to base stations. This enhancement enables superior downlink speeds compared to conventional base station capabilities.
For this demonstration, KT and Qualcomm Incorporated set up a test environment integrating Qualcomm’s next-generation Snapdragon mobile platform with AI capabilities and Rohde & Schwarz’s AI base station system (CMX500 OBT).
KT leveraged its 5G network operational experience and base station configuration data to apply an AI model optimized for real-world communication environments, enhancing the technology’s effectiveness.
The demonstration results showed improved accuracy in wireless channel state information, leading to approximately 50% better downlink performance.
KT highlighted the significance of this demonstration, stating that it proves AI can substantially improve wireless performance. The company emphasized that this validates the effectiveness of 3GPP standard-based AI-RAN (Intelligent Radio Access Network) technology in a commercial network setting.
Building on this demonstration, KT plans to intensify its collaboration with global tech giants to spearhead AI-based wireless technology development for the 6G era and drive 6G standardization. The company also mentioned its ongoing preparations to evolve toward AI-driven autonomous network operations.
Kim Sang Pyo, President of Qualcomm Korea, stated that 6G will serve as an innovative platform for expanded intelligent edge AI that controls network resources, adding that Qualcomm’s partnership with KT is a crucial step toward realizing that vision and is expected to speed up the development of next-generation communication technologies.
Andreas Pauly, CTO of Rohde & Schwarz, expressed enthusiasm about collaborating with KT in South Korea, a global telecommunications leader. He said that the significant performance improvements demonstrated by AI-RAN and device solutions in the 6G AI showcase would mark a pivotal milestone for future communication technologies.
Lee Jong Sik, Executive Director of KT’s Future Network Research Institute, affirmed that through this collaboration with global tech leaders such as Qualcomm and Rohde & Schwarz, KT will continue to develop wireless AI technologies to enhance the quality of the customer experience.