Smart City Innovations: LG U+, Huawei Launch TechCity in Seoul

LG U+ and Huawei have launched Seoul TechCity, a collaborative project that aims to deliver smart city capabilities for the Korean capital, including: Giga Everywhere, mobile enabled digitized industry infrastructure, and the ability to build ecosystems for a digital society.

LG U+ has worked with Huawei on 5G since 2016 on Dual-connectivity technology verification with 20Gbps downlink rate in Seoul field tests, demonstration of the world’s first UHD IPTV over 5G FWA, and 5G dense urban field trials in Seoul’s Gangnam district.

Both sides understand that there will be many more challenges in the rollout of the 5G era. TechCity is seen as an important step toward building a leadership position for the two companies in technology, business and social responsibility.

TechCity will focus on three areas to accelerate monetization:

1. Giga Everywhere Experience City: Drive Basic Urban Communication Capability Upgrade

Giga internet service has been offered in Korea since 2014. Now LG U+ will offer 1Gbps internet services for every building in major cities via fixed broadband, but Giga internet still poses a challenge outside of buildings as 4G provides Giga capability, but can’t yet guarantee Giga everywhere.

TechCity will build cluster networks to provide 5G-oriented Giga everywhere and a 10~20Gbps peak data rate experience, to drive early upgrades of basic urban communication capability. TechCity will satisfy LG U+ customer experience requirements and position LG U+ leadership in technology.

2. Mobile enable digitalized industries: Mobile empowers operators to enter diverse industries

TechCity allows operators to quickly verify innovative solutions and services. The project gathers LG U+, Huawei, and other industry partners to continue fostering new services and service based solutions, e.g. UHD IPTV over 5G FWA, VR/AR, Drone, V2X, and NB-IoT applications. This will help convey a ‘seeing is believing’ approach, as well as assist LG U+ enter the new businesses in blue ocean markets.

3. Building an Ecosystem for Digital Society: Create Better Connected Cities

A digital society is designed to incubate future-oriented applications. Global operators are advised to develop capabilities of teams, ecosystems, business structure, and government cooperation. These capabilities are key to digital transformation across diverse industries for a better-connected world.

Park Song chul, Vice President of the NW Technology Division at LG U+, said: "We believe TechCity will help LG U+ with leading technology innovation and fostering new services. LG U+ will work together with Huawei to create a better experience for our customers in South Korea."

"Technological and business success are both indispensable,” said Dr. Peter Zhou, Chief Marketing Officer at Huawei’s Wireless Network Product Line. “Network innovation aims to deliver more and more business growth. With a clear-cut, long-term strategy and direction, operators are advised to accelerate commercial deployment and the monetization of TechCity’s new technologies in small increments, but at an increasingly expedited pace."