Beginning the era of mobile communication that is 1,000 times faster than LTE

"Beginning with a demonstration at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, we will commercialize the 5th-generation mobile communication system in 2020 for the first time in the world. With such a goal in mind, we are striving for excellence in R&D. Based on such a mobile communication system, communication and computing functions will be applied to all of our possessions. As a result, we expect that the space in which we live and all the things that we use will communicate with us. Such a system will greatly enhance our lives. Moreover, if the 5th-generation mobile communication system is successfully developed and Korea can dominate the market for this type of mobile communication system and take the lead in developing the related technologies, it will be possible for Korea to become a stronger nation, with an average national income of 40,000 to 50,000 USD a year."

5th-Generation Mobile Communication with a Great Ripple Effect

The mobile communication technology seems to go through a new generation every 10 years. Currently, we are living in the era of the 4th-generation LTE. We will be faced with the era of the 5th-generation (5G) mobile communication in the future. The era of the next-generation mobile communication will have a great ripple effect. The 5G mobile communication system will provide a communication network that is 1,000 times faster than the current 4th-generation mobile communication system, which means that it will be possible to transmit ultra-high-definition movie files within a second.
A number of institutions and government agencies in Korea and in other nations such as those in Europe and Asia are working hard to become leaders in the global market for 5th-generation mobile communication. Among them is the KIITC team led by Professor Ju Yong Lee, who is focusing on the development of the 5th-generation mobile communication system.

The communication energy team of KI for Information Technology Convergence (led by Professor Ju Yong Lee) planned a research task for the 5th-generation mobile communication system in 2010. Based on joint research with Samsung Electronics and KMW, Professor Lee and his team members have been trying to find a way to provide the capacity of 100 Gbps, a capacity 1,000 times greater than the current level, for the 5th-generation mobile communication system. With such a goal in mind, they have been focusing on such concepts as small-sized cells, wireless backhauls, pattern/polarization antennas, and mobile base stations. Their specific objective for the development of the 5th-generation mobile communication system is to increase the capacity, the energy efficiency, and the terminal acceptance by 1,000 times compared to the current levels. For such a goal, it is necessary to downsize cells, expand the frequency band in use and develop the technology required for the improvement of the frequency efficiency. It is necessary to utilize a large number of antennas in order to increase the frequency efficiency in bands under 6 GHz. Since there are various spatial limitations, the research team has been focusing on the development of various signal processing for beamforming technologies by utilizing integrated pattern/polarization antennas.

If there are many antennas, the system may need a greater number of RF chains to support multiple streams. Therefore, the subject system could become more complicated, so the research team has been searching for a way to avoid this potential problem. Through the development of link-level/system-level simulators for verification and the verification system, it will be possible to move towards the commercialization of the 5th-generation mobile communication system. Also, through the measurement of the channel in the mmWave band, the research team has also been focusing on the verification of the possible use of the system in wireless backhauls and access networks. As stated above, the development of the 5th-generation mobile communication system will be actualized only when other technologies such as those of antennas, RF, modems, simulators, verification systems, and the mmWave band are provided. The research team led by Professor Ju Yong Lee has been cooperating with various laboratories and a number of professors within KAIST and has focused on the development of the 5th-generation mobile communication system as part of the government task since 2011. Currently, the research team led by Professor Ju Yong Lee is carrying out three tasks for the development of original technologies regarding the 5th-generation mobile communication system.

The first task is related to development of a non-intervening adaptation-beam access technology based on the antenna node grouping (Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, March, 2011 - February, 2016). If the technology is developed, it will be possible to increase the wireless capacity in an innovative way through the utilization of the spatial resources, mainly with small-sized cells in addition to the OFDM-based MIMO technology, which is essential for the 4th-generation mobile communication system. Currently, the research team led by Professor Ju Yong Lee is developing original technologies for the expansion of the capacity through the formation of various beams by utilizing pattern/polarization antennas in order to achieve the capacity of 10Gbps in small-sized cells.

The second task is related to the development of the VCN/BDMA convergence network technology supporting mobility based on wireless backhauls (Samsung Electronics, June, 2011 - May, 2013). As part of the task, the research team has been focusing primarily on the mmWave band, which could be utilized for the 5th-generation mobile communication system. In particular, the research team has been focusing on the measurement and modeling of actual channels in various environments within KAIST by manufacturing the channel-measuring equipment.

The third one is related to the development of the 5G mobile individual cell technology (Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, April, 2013 - March, 2017). As part of the task, the research team has been focusing on the development of various technologies that could be used for the 5th-generation mobile communication system.


Prof. Lee, Ju Yong
2013 Annual Report