South Korean technology leaders Samsung and KT have launched a joint research initiative to improve 6G signal quality and network performance.
Combining their engineering and research capabilities, the companies will focus on multi-antenna systems to extend coverage across candidate 6G frequency bands. Their collaboration will also investigate how artificial intelligence can be integrated into telecommunications systems to increase network stability, optimize resource use, and enhance user experience.
Jong-Sik Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of the Future Network Laboratory at KT, said that the partnership is intended to secure next-generation network technologies that meaningfully improve user experience. He emphasized KT’s commitment to strengthening development of core 6G technologies to lead future mobile communications innovation.
The research effort is timely: global discussions and standardization work around 6G are already underway. A central early focus for Samsung and KT will be eXtreme multiple-input multiple-output (X-MIMO), an ultra-high-density antenna approach designed to improve 6G coverage and increase data throughput.
At the World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC-23) convened by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the 7 GHz band (7.125–8.4 GHz) emerged as a promising candidate frequency for future mobile services. The band is attractive to the mobile industry because of its propagation characteristics and the availability of spectrum, but it also presents new technical challenges.
Angelo Jeongho Park, Executive Vice President and Head of the Advanced Communications Research Center (ACRC) at Samsung Research, said Samsung is committed to developing 6G technologies that improve both operational efficiency in the 7 GHz range and overall user experience. He noted that the partnership with KT will be a key foundation for progressing next-generation communications through sensible and cost-effective investments.
A primary technical challenge is that the 7 GHz band operates at a higher frequency than the 3.5 GHz C-band commonly used for 5G. Higher frequencies experience greater path loss, which makes achieving coverage comparable to current 5G services more difficult. To address this, the partners will research advanced beamforming techniques that focus signal power in desired directions to boost link quality and reduce interference.
They will also study multi-spatial transmission methods that use multiple simultaneous beams to serve many users at once. In X-MIMO deployments within the 7 GHz band, a far greater number of antenna elements will be required than in today’s 5G networks. That creates a need for new system architectures and control techniques that can efficiently manage ultra-high-density antenna arrays while keeping cost and complexity manageable.
Beyond radio technologies, Samsung and KT are emphasizing the role of AI in making networks more intelligent and resilient. Their joint research will explore AI-driven features that improve user experience in areas with weaker coverage—for example, by predicting and proactively mitigating interruptions to video streaming and other latency-sensitive services to provide smoother, more reliable connections.
This collaboration between two of South Korea’s major technology companies marks a meaningful step in the global push toward 6G. By addressing key issues such as signal path loss at higher frequencies and integrating AI to enhance network operation, Samsung and KT aim to help ensure that 6G delivers faster, more dependable, and more pervasive mobile connectivity.
See also: Ericsson and SoftBank forge tech alliance towards future networks
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