SK Telecom Co., South Korea’s largest telecommunications company, succeeded testing next generation mobile network using 802.11ax router, which would provide four times faster wireless connection and more reliable connectivity in high density WiFi user area, the company said on Monday.

Its latest mobile network technology using four antennas is based on the 802.11ax networking standard set by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), a technical professional organization. The 802.11ax router allows internet connection speed of up to 4.8 gigabits per second (Gbps), nearly four times faster than the 802.11ac WiFi standard widely used in mobile phones now. Also, its frequency range reaches 160 megahertz (MHz), doubling that of current gigabit WiFi with transfer speed of up to 1.3 Gbps.

It is the first time in the country to succeed testing the 802.11ax WiFi technology, the company claimed.

The company was able to improve the wireless connection efficiency while addressing multiple simultaneous users through the use of Multi-User, Multiple Input Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) and Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) as well as the Dynamic Sensitivity Control for Access Point technology, said SK Telecom.

It expects new smartphone featuring 802.11ax WiFi technology would be available in the market as early as next year as global chipmakers already have released 802.11ax chipsets.

New smartphones fitted with 802.11ax chipset is anticipated to run on two antennas and offer up to 1.2 Gbps connection.

SK Telecom is getting ready to set up a testbed for the new networking technology at its Bundang office, south of Seoul with an aim to establish a commercial-level wireless access point by the end of this year.

At 2:04 p.m. on Monday, shares of SK Telecom were down 0.94 percent at 262,500 won ($232.18).

By Seo Dong-cheol and Cho Jeehyun

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