KT said on Dec. 11 it has successfully verified AI-RAN technology on a commercial network.

AI-RAN, jointly developed by KT and Samsung Electronics, is a next-generation technology that analyses data exchanged between base stations and devices in real time to provide optimal network conditions for users.

KT and Samsung Electronics have conducted joint AI-RAN research since 2023. They also signed a multilateral agreement with Nvidia this year and are pushing GPU-based AI-RAN development.

The commercial network verification took place in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. About 18,000 daily users accessed the network with AI-RAN applied, and the test confirmed that repeated issues such as service breaks during cell-to-cell movement for some customers fell significantly. Quality for other users with similar movement patterns also improved, raising overall cell network performance.

The results show that AI-RAN works effectively in a commercial environment. Most domestic and overseas networks optimise performance at the cell level, applying the same settings to all users on a cell, which makes it difficult to reflect individual user conditions.

KT and Samsung Electronics introduced a new approach that provides user-tailored network quality. They used real-time data such as signal strength and quality trends, predicting potential issues and delivering optimised settings for each user.

Jin-guk Jung, head of the Next Generation Communication Research Center at Samsung Research, said the results clearly show that AI can improve user experience on an actual network. He said the two research centres will continue to advance and verify AI-based future communication technologies.

Jong-sik Lee, head of KT’s Future Network Research Institute, said the verification proves AI can innovate network operations around users. He said KT will work with Samsung Electronics to advance customised optimisation technology, provide stable and seamless service, and lead in securing 6G core technologies.