A joint EU–South Korea initiative called 5GCHAMPION will be showcased next week during the 2018 Winter Games.
The project integrates terrestrial wireless systems, including millimeter-wave (mmWave) access, with satellite communications to demonstrate a fully integrated intercontinental 5G network proof of concept. 5GCHAMPION seeks to show how multiple radio access technologies can operate together to deliver seamless connectivity across diverse environments.
Dr. Emilio Calvanese Strinati, Innovation and Scientific Director at Leti, explains:
“This proof of concept is the first time that state-of-the-art terrestrial wireless communication, including future key enablers such as mmWave access, will be seamlessly combined with disruptive satellite communication.
This technology will form a 5G network with multi-radio-access technologies (multi-RAT) that is optimized to serve user equipment in various applications.”
At the event, visitors to Yulgok Street—temporarily renamed “IoT Street”—will be able to board a bus outfitted to demonstrate the network as it transports passengers between venues. Attendees can also experience a remote location in Finland using virtual reality headsets, highlighting the project’s potential for immersive, low-latency services.
For the live demonstration, researchers expect peak data transfer speeds around 2.5 Gbps. The consortium is also advancing techniques to maintain reliable 5G connections at high mobility, such as on high-speed trains, to support fast-moving users without interruptions.
The 5GCHAMPION consortium brings together 21 universities, research institutes, and companies from Europe and South Korea. The research receives backing from the European Commission and the Korean Ministry of Science and ICT, reflecting a coordinated international effort to validate multi-RAT, satellite-integrated 5G architectures.
The demonstration aims to highlight practical applications of integrated 5G networks, including enhanced mobile broadband, massive machine-type communications, and ultra-reliable low-latency connections for VR, transportation, and other smart city use cases. By combining terrestrial mmWave deployments with satellite links, the project intends to improve coverage, resilience, and capacity across urban and intercontinental scenarios.
Key technical objectives include orchestration across different radio technologies, seamless handover between terrestrial and satellite links, and maintaining quality of service for users moving at speed. Achieving these goals could enable consistent user experiences across complex environments and extend high-capacity 5G services to areas where terrestrial coverage alone is insufficient.
As 5G deployments expand globally, demonstrations like 5GCHAMPION serve to validate hybrid architectures that leverage both ground and space-based resources. The outcomes may inform standards, inspire further research, and guide operators and policymakers in designing resilient, high-performance networks that meet growing demand for data and real-time services.
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