[Exclusive] LG Uplus puts 5G SA to the test for the first time with Hyundai Motor robots, targets industrial communications market

[Financial News] LG Uplus is joining forces with Hyundai Motor Company to conduct a demonstration of fifth-generation (5G) mobile communications in standalone (SA) mode using robots. Ahead of plans to launch 5G SA commercially within the year, the companies aim to verify communications quality and stability using robots currently in operation at Hyundai Motor’s headquarters. The demonstration also marks a first step toward expanding 5G services beyond smartphones to industrial settings such as factories and robots, and reflects an effort to explore new business opportunities in the business-to-business (B2B) communications market.
According to Financial News reporting on the 8th, LG Uplus is planning a 5G SA demonstration involving robots operating at Hyundai Motor’s Yangjae headquarters building. Delivery robots, including DAL-e Delivery, are expected to be among those involved. The two sides are discussing the specific approach and schedule for the demonstration.
DAL-e Delivery is an autonomous delivery robot developed by Hyundai Motor Company and Kia that transports items in places such as offices and shopping malls. It can also move between floors by connecting to building entrance and elevator control systems. Hyundai Motor Company and Kia operate watering and security robots, among others, in addition to delivery robots at the Yangjae headquarters building.
The demonstration is expected to check whether communications remain stable as robots deployed for actual work move around, and whether they can exchange information smoothly with control systems. Since robots need to send and receive information about their surroundings and routes while operating, the demonstration may also examine how communications delays or unstable connections affect their operation.
LG Uplus is conducting network tests in major regions across the country, with the goal of launching 5G SA commercially within the year. It is expanding the capacity of its dedicated 5G core network and is also verifying interoperability between the network and devices such as smartphones. The demonstration is significant because it extends network testing, which has so far focused on smartphones, to real-world robot operations.
5G SA is a way of communicating using only 5G base stations and a dedicated core network. Unlike the existing 5G non-standalone (NSA) mode, which relies on an LTE core network, it can support 5G-specific features such as network slicing. Network slicing divides a single communications network according to its intended uses and allocates network resources accordingly. It can be used to manage communications quality to suit the needs of services such as robot control and video transmission.
LG Uplus plans to use the communications quality and operating conditions established through this demonstration to assess whether 5G SA can be extended to robots operating in industrial settings such as factories and logistics centers. Industrial settings, where multiple robots move at once and exchange information with control systems, are among the areas that require stable communications networks. However, improvements over existing Wi-Fi or LTE and the cost of adoption still need to be verified in practice. A LG Uplus official said, “We are discussing plans for a 5G SA demonstration with Hyundai Motor Company,” adding, “Specific details and the schedule have not yet been finalized.”

[email protected] Yoon Hong-jip Reporter