SK Telecom (CEO Yoo Young-sang) has introduced a high-capacity 800 Gbps wired network using next-generation optical transmission technology between Seoul and Busan, proactively responding to the surge in data traffic due to AI, cloud, and 5G.

SKT announced on the 3rd that it recently completed a test launch of an 800Gbps wired network in the commercial network between Seoul and Busan together with SK Broadband.

In order to proactively respond to the rapidly increasing data traffic due to 5G, AI, and cloud, SKT has also completed a test launch of a 1.2Tbps ultra-high-capacity wired network at its Incheon office building where its data center is located.

The two companies have been expanding the introduction of large-capacity wired networks to respond to the rapidly increasing data traffic, and based on this achievement, they plan to secure an 800 Gbps nationwide network system and build an advanced backbone network transmission system.

The goal is to provide SKT and SK Broadband customers with a significantly improved communication service that will allow them to use large amounts of data without interruption throughout the country.

Next-generation optical transmission technology was used in the introduction of this large-capacity wired network. SKT has preemptively completed an ultra-long-distance 1,200km transmission test at a large capacity of 800 Gbps, and has also introduced a pilot 1.2 Tbps medium-distance transmission test to its commercial network, successfully enhancing the core functions of optical transmission equipment, namely, ‘long-distance transmission’ and ‘large-capacity transmission.’

To cope with the rapidly increasing data traffic, SKT and SK Broadband have been densely constructing a mesh network of next-generation optical transmission equipment, NG-ROADM (Next Generation Re-configurable Optical Add-Drop Multiplexer), in major cities across the country.

NG-ROADM is the latest technology in optical communication networks, which greatly improves the flexibility, efficiency, and scalability of networks, playing a key role in responding to rapidly increasing bandwidth demands and preparing for future optical communication infrastructure.

Based on this, next-generation backbone networks have introduced next-generation optical transmission technologies such as coherent transmission technology that enables long-distance, large-capacity transmission, flex-grid wavelength transmission, PCS (Probabilistic Constellation Shaping), and application of the latest silicon integrated circuit chipsets.

In particular, the latest silicon direct circuit is a low-power, high-efficiency integrated chipset that applies the 6th generation coherent photonic service engine (PSE, Photonic Service Engine) of the 5nm (nanometer) process, and was introduced for the first time in Korea.

The construction of a large-capacity wired network using these various next-generation optical transmission technologies has enabled high-capacity transmission of up to 1.2 Tbps and up to 800 Gbps over a long distance in various network applications, including medium-distance, long-distance, and submarine networks.

Lee Jong-hoon, head of SK Telecom's infrastructure engineering division, said, "In preparation for the gradual increase in traffic usage with the advent of the AI era, we are providing lossless traffic transmission throughout the country.He said, “We are working hard to ensure the transmission of large-capacity traffic,” adding, “We will continue to build a network capable of transmitting groundbreaking large-capacity traffic.”