SK Telecom has reported achieving exceptionally high download speeds during the final phase of its 5G trials using a Samsung Galaxy S10.
In a collaborative test between the two South Korean companies, they recorded a peak download speed of 2.7 Gbps. At this rate, SK Telecom says a 2 GB movie could be downloaded in approximately six seconds.
The trial used SK Telecom’s 3.5 GHz spectrum and relied on Samsung’s virtual core, which supports concurrent 4G and 5G operation.
A Samsung spokesperson commented:
“This success reflects the long-standing collaboration between SK Telecom and Samsung. Driving early 5G commercialization, the companies achieved the world’s first 4G/5G interworking in 2017 and conducted the world’s first 5G Next-Generation Core (5G NC) trial in June 2018, featuring separation of control and user planes and virtualized network functions based on 3GPP Release 15 standards.”
The Galaxy series ranks among the world’s most popular smartphone lines, making the Galaxy S10 a relevant example of the performance consumers might see. However, commercial 5G networks will face greater traffic and operational complexity than controlled test environments.
South Korea is positioned to be one of the first countries to deploy 5G at scale. Commercial network launches are scheduled to begin next month after a brief delay caused by challenges in getting compatible devices into retail channels.
So far, a limited selection of 5G-capable devices has been announced, with additional models expected throughout the year. For example, other manufacturers are planning 5G variants of flagship phones that will debut in upcoming product events.
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