SK Broadband is commercializing 40Gbps ultra-fast internet that is 40 times faster than gigabit internet.
SK Broadband’s goal is to secure an upper hand in wired internet technology before ultra-high capacity services such as 5G and UHD are commercialized.
SK Broadband made an announcement on the 17th that it will be providing NG-PON2 (Next Generation-Passive Optical Network 2) optical transmission platform service that allows 40Gbps internet transmission.
NG-PON2 is a technology that increases transmission speed by optimizing wired data signal.
NG-PON2 selects most suitable wavelength out of many optical signal wavelengths that are transmitted by optical cables and increases transmission speed to 40Gbps by allocating additional optical wavelengths when amount of transmission is increased.
SK Broadband is planning to apply this technology first to ‘transmission network’ section that installed from network providers to operating rooms of apartments.
Currently equipment for10Gbps internet is supplied for gigabit internet’s transmission network. When equipment for 40Gbps internet is commercialized, it is expected that stability of gigabit internet that is current provided will increase greatly.

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<Concept diagram of 40Gbps internet service >

SK Broadband is planning to apply this technology to transmission network and eventually expand it towards network for general users so that anyone can use 40Gbps service.
After applying NG-PON2 to certain transmission network of apartments in Seoul in September, it is planning to provide commercialized service in next year.
40Gbps is speed that can download a 5GB movie in just a second. When 40Gbps ultra-fast internet is commercialized, it is expected that stability in sending contents such as UHD, VR and AR with huge amount of data will increase greatly.
It is also necessary to increase speed of wired network to same level to provide 5G service, which provides wireless data with 20Gbps of speed, stably.
SK Broadband’s goal is to grab an upper hand in competitions for gigabit internet that is expected to be fiercer even more by commercializing 40Gbps service earlier than its competitors
In last month, KT made an announcement that it will be commercializing 10Gbps gigabit internet service in next year. If SK Broadband succeeds in commercializing 40Gbps internet, it is predicted that competitions for higher speed of wired internet between network providers will be ignited.
“We are going to implement world’s best optical internet platform as we welcome services such as gigabit internet, UHD service with ultra-high quality, and VR.” said Director Yoo Ji-chang of SK Broadband’s Network Sector.
Staff Reporter Park, Jisung | jisung@etnews.com