KDDI and Samsung Successfully Complete 5G Multi-Device Trial at a Professional Baseball Stadium in Okinawa, Japan

Sports users’ experience is taken to new heights as the two companies use Samsung’s end-to-end 5G solutions

Trial includes prototype 5G tablets used in 5G hot zone in a way that redefines entertainment in sports venues, live concerts and exhibitions



KDDI and Samsung Electronics today announced the successful completion of a 5G field trial held in Okinawa Cellular Stadium, a 30,000-person capacity baseball stadium in Japan.

Using Samsung’s 5G end-to-end solutions spanning virtualized core, virtualized RAN, one of the smallest 5G access units, and multiple prototype 5G tablet devices, the trial showcased a live feed of 4K video contents downloaded and streamed simultaneously on 5G tablets supporting the millimeter wave spectrum. This is the first time to test 5G performance using 5G tablets in Japan.

Samsung’s 5G access units with beam-forming technology were installed on a light tower located outside the left field fence to create 5G coverage in the direction of home plate and first and third bases. As a result, the tablets placed on seats in this coverage area were able to have 4K videos downloaded and streamed on them via 5G.

The successful trial results reflect the two companies’ efforts in using 5G technology and ultra-high frequency spectrum (28GHz band in this instance), to redefine user experiences in crowded environments and spotlight a new approach to viewing sports games.

“We have been working closely with Samsung to explore 5G. It is exciting to see how the technology will play out at crowded events to result in the discovery of new business models,” said Yoshiaki Uchida, Senior Managing Executive Officer at KDDI. “The trial is solid evidence of our potential to generate new use cases that will take user experience in sports stadiums to new heights in the 5G era.”

“5G holds the powerful potential to create new user experiences and business models that are more immersive and dynamic than ever before,” said Youngky Kim, President and Head of Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “Through our collaboration with KDDI, we will stay committed to exploring 5G-driven business models that can be applied in diverse high-demand locations based on a wide range of methods.”

The outcome of this 5G stadium trial connotes advanced connectivity, not only at sports events, but also in a wide variety of crowded entertainment spots, including live music concerts, exhibitions, and international conferences, leading to new viewing experiences. By demonstrating how users will be able to simultaneously access 5G networks and enjoy immersive experiences regardless of their location, today’s accomplishment continues 5G momentum as it enters commercialization stage.

Since 2015, KDDI and Samsung have been working closely to demonstrate the performance of 5G in various real-life scenarios. This includes a multi-cell handover demonstration that took place in February 2017 where the device was mounted on a car that traveled the busy streets of Tokyo (Link), high-speed mobility test with the device attached on a car racing over 200km/hour (124 miles/hour) in Yongin, ‘Everland SPEEDWAY’ in Korea in September 2017 (Link) and the recent successful uplink/downlink handover test that took place on a high-speed train railway in Japan (Link). Samsung’s state-of-the-art technologies including the first commercial ASIC-based 5G modems and mmWave RFICs for compact access units, CPEs and tablets using in-house technology and assets laid down the framework for these demonstrations.

About KDDI

KDDI, a Fortune Global 500 company and one of Asia’s largest telecommunications providers, has a proven global track record of high quality service delivery. We provide a multitude of services, including mobile phone services, fixed-line communication, and data centers, thus making us the optimum one-stop solution provider for everything telecommunications and IT environment related.

5G Is Now, Part 3: [Interview] “Consumers Are the Key Pillar of the 5G Era… Users Will Consume 100GB a Month”

President Youngky Kim of Networks Business, “The goal is for Samsung’s market share to exceed 20%”

“To successfully roll out 5G mobile telecommunications, consumers must come first before anything. We’d like to provide countries around the world with 5G infrastructure so that users can consume 100GB every month wirelessly and enjoy new services as much as they’d like.”

President Youngky Kim of Networks Business at Samsung Electronics estimates that monthly wireless internet usage will soar to 100GB in the 5G era from the current usage of 10 GB at most in the 4G environment. In other words, users will be able to enjoy wireless internet services including 4K and 8K UHD videos, virtual reality (VR), holograms, and autonomous vehicles to their satisfaction.

Using the 5G technologies that have been developed over the last seven years, President Kim has been committed to deploying 5G networks in many parts of the world. He said, “We will focus on the U.S. where 5G services will launch this year, as well as Korea and Japan – the leaders of 5G commercialization. It is our goal to become one of the top three global network equipment suppliers within the next five years.”

 

President Kim sat with Samsung Newsroom on 27th February at MWC held in Barcelona, Spain. The Q&A outlines the types of benefits consumers will be able to enjoy in the 5G era, and Samsung’s competitive edge and business strategies.

Q. How do you think the 5G will make a difference in our lives?

Kim: “4G brought us mobile connectivity so that we can use our smartphones anytime and anywhere. 5G will extend wireless connectivity to cities and factories as a whole. Internet of Things (IoT) will become a part of our lives, and consumers’ monthly wireless internet usage will skyrocket to 100GB. Furthermore, hologram video calls, augmented reality (AR)-based GPS, and autonomous vehicles will be more widely available.”

Q. Almost every participating enterprise at MWC 2018 talks about 5G. What differentiates Samsung from the rest?

Kim: “The telecommunications business is no longer just about expanding network coverage and enhancing performance. Going beyond simple connectivity, we aim to implement an automated and intelligent network that focuses on our consumers. The main task is to develop new services that are virtually latency-free. Samsung will demonstrate its unique competencies to bring 5G services to life, based on the company’s businesses and experiences in networks, mobile devices, TVs, home appliances, semi-conductors, and electronics parts as well as IoT platform.”

Q. For the first time in the world, the 5G network will be commercialized in the U.S. When do you think it will be distributed on a major scale?

Kim: “Countries like the U.S, Korea, Japan are on the verge of jumping into 5G commercialization. Samsung will accelerate the commercialization of 5G by working actively with service providers in 5G adoption-advanced countries. To deliver 5G services seamlessly, “killer applications” must be provided along with the network and user devices.”

Q. Samsung collaborates with Verizon for the commercialization of 5G in the U.S. What meaning does this partnership hold?

Kim: “The U.S. is an early-adopter and has a very large market, of which Verizon is the No.1 operator. In this respect, the partnership is recognition of our technological competencies. The 5G network employs the millimeter wave spectrum, which is a distinctive frequency bandwidth yet to be used for communications. It is therefore crucial that it successfully works out in an in an everyday setting. We believe that coming in first place to let users experience commercial services based on the millimeter wave spectrum will bolster our presence in the 5G market.”

Q. What is Samsung’s strategy to become one of the top three network equipment suppliers?

Kim: “Technological competency is our competitive edge. Samsung has been dedicated to validating 5G technologies and applying the requirements of global standards. Furthermore, we have been committed to developing and demonstrating “world first” technologies over the last seven years. To achieve success in our 5G business, our viewpoints on technologies, products and strategies must stay focused on consumers. I am positive that Samsung has every potential to grow into a top-tier enterprise with our consumer-centric products, services and infrastructure in the global 5G market.”

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5G Is Now, Part 2: High End Performance from Equipment to Devices and Chipsets

At Mobile World Congress 2018, which kicked off on February 26, Samsung Electronics cemented its status as an industry leader by introducing a full lineup of products that will be vital for the commercialization of fifth generation (5G) wireless communications. At the root of this achievement are Samsung’s end-to-end solutions spanning network equipment, devices and chipsets, not to mention a commitment to R&D investment that began in 5G’s infancy, six years ago.

A Strong Foundation Lays the Groundwork for Convenient 5G Technology

Unveiled at the event was a chipset supporting 28 GHz, a 5G spectrum, home devices, base stations and network core equipment. Samsung’s 5G devices, when installed in homes or enterprises, will automatically be recognized by 5G base stations and provided with ultra-fast broadband service of up to 1Gbps, while the network core equipment is responsible for resource management and real-time data traffic distribution.

Central to the initial phase of 5G is the notion of an ecosystem – an ecosystem that covers manufacturers of chipsets, devices and other equipment. Samsung stands out as a key player in the industry with end-to-end solutions that deal with each aspect of this 5G network cycle, enabling early 5G commercialization and stable service quality. This is precisely why Verizon, the largest mobile network operator in the U.S. and an industry leader when it comes to 5G commercialization, has selected Samsung as its vendor.

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“What it means for a single company to be able to provide chips, devices and equipment is that it can optimize 5G and bring out the best of this new exciting technology all by itself,” said Tim Baxter, President of Samsung Electronics America. “Beginning this year, we plan on peeling off the layers, one by one, to show how a connected world built by a full 5G commercial product lineup will unfold before our eyes.”

Six Years of R&D Finally Coming to Fruition

Samsung has demonstrated its technological expertise throughout the evolution of communications – from 2G to 3G and 4G. Indeed, the company was the first to commercialize CDMA (Code-Division Multiple Access) during the 2G era. Samsung was also at the forefront of 4G LTE (Long-Term Evolution) innovation as a key vendor in technologically advanced markets such as the US, Japan, Korea and the UK. Its business has now expanded into rapidly developing India, where Samsung is the sole vendor of the country’s 4G LTE nationwide network.

Samsung has been convinced of the potential that the millimeter wave spectrum holds since 2012, and has been investing in 5G R&D ever since. These efforts have resulted in the successful development of beamforming technology that supports directional signal transmission or reception. Based on this achievement, a technology that enables transmission speeds of over 1Gbps and is capable of covering distances of up to 2 kilometers using a 28 GHz band was developed and demonstrated in May of 2013.

In October of 2014, for the first time in the industry’s history, Samsung Electronics took 5G technology out of the lab and demonstrated its use in a vehicle moving at 100 km/h

In 2014, a seamless data transmission speed of 1.2Gpbs was achieved during a demonstration held in a vehicle moving at 100 km/h. It was the time that 5G technology had reached Gbps-level speed in a mobile environment. When the vehicle was stationary, the speeds reached 7.5Gbps, which was another new record.

That was directly followed by the first successful demonstration of 5G handover technology, which has allowed Samsung to further accelerate 5G’s commercialization. Handover is regarded as a critical technology for networks as it signifies seamless coverage for smart devices when a user moves between base stations. In March of 2016, Samsung became the first in the industry to successfully accomplish a multi-cell handover demonstration by achieving Gbps-level connectivity while a vehicle moved across three 5G base stations at 25 km/h.

In September of 2017, Samsung demonstrated seamless connectivity with a vehicle traveling at over 200 km/h, as well as a successful handover with a vehicle moving at 192 km/h. These remarkable achievements proved that the application of 5G on high-speed trains was a feasible concept.

Around this time, Samsung also successfully proved the capabilities of a 4G-5G intertwined network that binds together three spectrums by linking a 4G LTE network that utilizes the 2.6 GHz band with a 5G network that uses the 28 GHz and 3.5 GHz bands. Interworking between different-generation networks is recognized in the industry as a prerequisite for fostering 5G commercialization.

Accelerating the 5G Era with Operators Worldwide

By nature, telecommunications service can only begin once an operator has acquired the rights to use a particular spectrum from its government and established infrastructure with its vendor. It is absolutely crucial that the service allows multiple users to simultaneously enjoy seamless connection anywhere and anytime. 5G commercialization is no exception to this rule; cooperation between operators, equipment vendors and device manufacturers is a must.

Samsung has been focusing on intensifying its technical and business bonds with operators in markets with advanced 5G adoption such as Korea, the US and Japan. The US is the first country to have acquired the 28 GHz spectrum, and it plans on launching FWA (fixed wireless access) service using 5G technology in the second half of this year. Samsung is in the midst of carrying out 5G trial services in key US cities together with Verizon and has already deployed 5G networks in seven of the eleven cities – Sacramento included – where Verizon provides its service. To add to the list are the 5G trials being carried out in Indiana with AT&T, as well as another with T-Mobile.

Korea is quickly gaining recognition as a testbed for the latest technologies. In September of 2017, together with the Korean telecommunications operator SK Telecom, Samsung successfully demonstrated, for the first time ever, how 4G and 5G networks can interwork with one another.

Japan has targeted the year 2020 for 5G commercialization, to coincide with a large-scale sporting event that will be held in Tokyo. Together with the country’s leading operator, NTT DOCOMO, Samsung successfully demonstrated the 5G technology in a vehicle traveling at high speed in November of 2016. With KDDI, another key operator in Japan, Samsung conducted a 5G demonstration on a Tokyo highway in February of last year. In December of the same year, the joint efforts extended into a 5G test held on a high-speed train.

Also collaborating with Samsung to accelerate 5G commercialization is the French operator Orange. Together with Korea Telecom and Verizon, Samsung has also established the specifications required for 5G trial services in Korea, as well as commercial FWA service in the U.S.

“Samsung has always been an active promoter of international cooperation with its 5G total solutions at the root,” said Wonil Roh, Vice President and Head of the Technology Strategy Group, Networks Business, Samsung Electronics. “These experiences are a validation of why operators worldwide find Samsung to be the most ideal partner for 5G network establishment.”