Models enjoy the Atlantis rollercoaster, a 4D attraction made possible by the e-Um 5G private network service, at Lotte World Adventure in the Jamsil district of southeastern Seoul on Tuesday. The Ministry of Science and ICT and the amusement park announced that Atlantis, the park’s most popular attraction, will be available in a 4D attraction version that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and those over 100cm tall through a private 5G network from April 3. Courtesy of Lotte World Adventure
South Korea expands use cases of promising private networks
Reporter Baek Byung-yeol
South Korea is expanding its ecosystem of e-Um 5G network services, with an amusement park opening a virtual roller coaster ride that takes advantage of high-speed, ultra-low latency private network services, the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology said on Tuesday.
The Ministry of Science and ICT said 5G Atlantis has been installed at Lotte World Adventure amusement park in Seoul, allowing visitors to experience a virtual roller coaster ride using the e-Um 5G network starting Wednesday.
The ministry supports the spread of various services that utilize e-Um 5G network services, as utilizing private networks will lead to enhanced competitiveness in the manufacturing and service industries.
“After more than two years of efforts, the consortium, which includes Lotte World and Nugens, has developed a facility capable of transmitting large volumes of data, such as videos, over long distances at high speeds without delay through a 28 gigahertz (GHz) network,” the ministry said in a statement.
The Atlantis rollercoaster is the park’s most popular ride, and this 4D ride version recreates high-quality footage and movements collected by cameras and sensors installed on the rollercoaster, then transmits them in real time over a 28GHz network using motion simulators, large screens and audio equipment.
According to the ministry, 4D attractions created using these technologies will allow anyone over 100cm tall to ride the rides without delay, regardless of the weather.
Jeong Yong-soo, head of the ministry’s Information and Communications Industry Policy Division, said, “We hope that this real-life experience facility based on a specialized 28GHz network will provide an opportunity for many people to experience the advantages of the network firsthand.”
Since private network services can only be used in certain areas or buildings, companies will receive 5G frequencies from the government and launch their own network services. This will allow organizations to use the ultra-fast speed, ultra-low latency, and ultra-connectivity of the service. e-Um 5G service will not use the public 5G networks of telecommunications companies, which will also improve security for users.
The government expects e-Um 5G services to have a significant impact on the domestic manufacturing and service industries and is encouraging the allocation of related network frequencies and strengthening of the ecosystem.
The global 5G private network market is expected to grow from $1.6 billion in 2022 to $41 billion by 2030, according to market research firm Grand View Research.
Domestic companies are using this network service to strengthen their competitiveness in various industries, particularly in the manufacturing industry.
Naver was the first in South Korea to build its own e-Um 5G network and apply it to its new building that opened in 2022. The company is using the private network service to develop various services, including autonomous robot services.
Hyundai Motor plans to introduce e-Um 5G services to its Ulsan plant to improve production efficiency, while Samsung Electronics acquired e-Um 5G frequencies earlier this year and is building a dedicated network at its Suwon plant. Samsung expects to reduce costs and improve productivity through faster and more efficient operation of production equipment compared to existing wired networks, and also to improve security and safety through the e-Um 5G network.
