KT said on the 15th that it will activate a focused network management system to provide stable communications service in preparation for a large-scale concert to be held at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on the 21st.
KT expanded network capacity by deploying six mobile base stations around Gwanghwamun Square and Seoul City Hall Plaza, where the concert will take place, and newly building 79 wireless base stations and 14 Wi-Fi access points. The move is aimed at ensuring stable communications quality even in event environments drawing massive crowds.
On the day of the concert, an emergency duty system will be run with the Gwacheon Network Control Center at its core. The company said it will monitor upload and download traffic in both directions in real time and respond immediately if unexpected situations arise. On-site, more than 80 network specialists, including over 40 engineers, will be additionally deployed.
In addition, to prepare for a potential surge in wireless traffic from social networking service (SNS) uploads and personal live broadcasts to share the excitement on site in real time, it will apply the artificial intelligence (AI)-based traffic automatic control solution "W-SDN (Wireless Software Defined Network)," which automatically controls base station overload.
"W-SDN" is an AI-based network operation technology that monitors network traffic in real time, detects and analyzes signs of base station overload in advance, and enables automatic control within one minute. Through precise frequency load balancing and base station power control, it supports stable network operations even at large concerts and events.
Alongside this, KT also secured in advance an expanded backbone network capacity, compared with normal times, to cope with increased high-definition, large-volume streaming traffic from the global live broadcast. Through this, it plans to provide a network environment in which not only domestic viewers but also overseas viewers can watch the concert without interruption.
Oh Taek-gyun, executive director and head of KT's Network Operations Innovation Division, said, "Providing stable communications service even in environments where traffic surges, such as large-scale concerts and global live broadcasts, is a core role of a telecom operator," adding, "We will continue to strengthen our response capabilities so we can provide stable network services anytime, anywhere by leveraging AI-based network operation technology."