Samsung Electronics Co. and SK Telecom Co. succeeded testing interconnection of 4G and 5G network technology, which could enable 5G experience based on existing 4G infrastructure.

The South Korean tech giant said on Thursday that the company together with SK Telecom ran a 4G-5G network interworking trial in real outdoor environment in Seoul using the current 4G LTE commercial network in the 2.6 gigahertz (GHz) band and newly built 5G networks using frequencies of 3.5GHz and 28GHz, as well as virtualized core and a test device that supports both 4G and 5G technologies.

A 360 degree virtual reality video was streamed live between a test device mounted in a car, which drove around in the busy streets in Seoul packed with tall buildings and another in SK Telecom’s headquarters in central Seoul. The test showed seamless streaming service when the car moved to and from 4G and 5G service areas.

“Interworking between 4G and 5G is a prerequisite for the early stage of 5G commercialization. Likewise, the interworking between 3G and 4G was the key driver to foster the 4G eco-system and its commercialization,” said Dongsoo Park, head of Global Sales & Marketing Team in Networks Business, Samsung Electronics. “The success of the test has proved that end users’ demand for a seamless and better experience can be met, on 4G-5G-intertwined next generation network.”

Interworking current network with 5G technology would also allow using both millimeter (mm) wave - spectrum bands between 30 Ghz and 300 Ghz, and spectrum bands below 6 GHz simultaneously. The mm wave is used for transferring large data file like virtual reality program and hologram images, and spectrum bands below 6 GHz are utilized in connected car and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication.

By Song Sung-hoon

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