SK Telecom has reduced latency between the handset and base station to 2 milliseconds from 25 milliseconds over its LTE network.
Finland-based telecom infrastructure maker Nokia and SK Telecom reduced the latency by applying Uplink Pre-Scheduling, a technology that enables the handset to immediately transmit data to the base station, and short Transmission Time Interval (TTI), a technology that reduces data transmission time between base station and handset to about 1/7.
The demonstration of a round-trip latency of 2 ms will support SK Telecom, a leading 4G operator, to launch 5G mobile services in Korea. According to International Telecommunication Union (ITU), 5G technologies need to deliver a peak data rate of up to 20Gbps under ultra-low latency of 1ms.
The latency between the handset and base station in the existing LTE environment is around 25ms. While the round-trip latency of 25ms can support two-way communication services like remote learning and smart work, it is not low enough to seamlessly provide services that require real-time transmission of data such as autonomous driving and telemedicine.
The newly developed 2ms latency technology is expected to facilitate the development of diverse real-time services – e.g. autonomous driving, AR and VR services – which will become widespread in the 5G era.
With a latency of 25ms, after sending a stop signal to a self-driving vehicle running at 150 kilometers per hour, the vehicle travels about one meter further before the decelerating. With the 2ms latency technology, the vehicle moves 8 centimeters before slowing down, which will significantly enhance the overall safety in autonomous driving.
The low latency communication technology can support services that require real-time monitoring of remote sites and control of equipment such as disaster relief robot, and will also contribute to the growth of next-generation media services like 360°VR.
“We will continue to improve our low latency technologies to achieve 5G evolution, while applying the latest technologies to our LTE networks to further enhance customer experience,” said Park Jin-hyo, head of Network Technology R&D Center of SK Telecom.
