It will be only a short time until Wi-Fi services at up to 1 gigabyte per second become available in the subway or on KTX high-speed trains. This is 100 times faster than the current speed of Internet access on Seoul's subway system.

The Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) announced that it has developed Mobile Hotspot Network (MHN) technology that can transmit data at 1 gigabyte per second on public transportation vehicles. By using millimeter waves, MHN can offer communications 100 times faster than previous Wi-Bro technologies. Data transmission is also very stable when using the new technology, the ETRI said.

On June 30, the ETRI succeeded in transmitting high-definition video and images at 500 megabits per second (Mbps) from one bus used as a base station to another bus without interruption, as the two buses traveled 1 kilometer. The new technology uses millimeter waves that are wider than the currently used frequencies. They can provide high-definition video streaming services to hundreds of people at the same time.



"We will be able to create a truly ubiquitous environment in which we can provide mobile communications regardless of location," said Chung Hyun-kyu, a senior official specialized in communications and the Internet at the ETRI. "This new technology will allow the use of giga-speed mobile Internet while riding on fast-moving objects, like KTX trains."

By Limb Jae-un
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos courtesy of the ETRI
jun2@korea.kr