Seoul, South Korea - KT Corporation (NYSE: KT) has developed a special antenna to enhance 5G upper air network coverage for urban air mobility (UAM) vehicles.
The company recently conducted field tests in Goheung, Jeollanam-do, as part of the first phase of the Korean Urban Air Mobility (K-UAM) Grand Challenge.
Why It Matters:
Reliable, high-speed 5G networks will be critical to the safe operation of urban air mobility.
KT's development of a specialized 5G antenna for urban air mobility vehicles demonstrates progress in enabling this emerging transportation mode.
The Key Points
- KT has tested a special antenna that provides focused 5G beams for UAMs at an altitude of 300-600 meters and a width of 100 meters.
- The narrow beam enables efficient use of network resources compared to a standard base station antenna.
- KT confirmed the performance of providing continuous 5G coverage along the UAM flight paths.
- A mobile integrated control environment was used to assess communication quality in real-time.
- KT is filing patents for technologies to reduce cell interference and optimize handover in UAM communication networks.
What They Say:
Misook Han, vice president of consulting technology P-TF at KT's Network Strategy Division, says the special antenna will focus on efficient network design, especially for the GC-1 and GC-2 phases of the Korean Urban Air Mobility (K-UAM) Grand Challenge.
Han said, "Efforts are underway to provide stable airspace network coverage in line with the UAM commercialization goals."
What Comes Next?
The successful antenna test keeps KT on track to enable commercial UAM services in South Korea by 2025.
Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and 5G standalone (SA) technologies into UAM air traffic management systems is a plan for KT.
This is aimed at optimizing safety and communication networks and facilitating the transition of the UAM sector to commercialization.
