KT Corporation has claimed the first South Korean test of an artificial intelligence radio access network (AI-RAN) on a live 5G network.

According to local reports, the pilot program was deployed in Naju, in the country’s South Jeolla Province, using the latest 5G base stations from Nokia’s AirScale Radio Access Network (RAN) line, as used by the likes of Japan’s SoftBank.

The trial was reported as exploring machine learning (ML)-driven channel estimation to interpret intricate radio wave behaviors and limit data degradation.

AI-augmented channel estimation has been featured by platforms such as Broadcom’s VeloSky. The service offers operators integrated control of fiber, cellular, and satellite connectivity into a single appliance, underpinned by the AI-infused VeloRAIN feature to support traffic prioritization and bandwidth management.

Similarly, SoftBank recently revealed it is using ChatGPT-style AI for boosting tasks such as channel estimation, its architecture using raw signal amplitude without normalization, preserving physical information that indicates communication quality.

KT’s AI-RAN trial also incorporated multi-user massive multiple-input, multiple-output (MU-MIMO), enabling base stations to transmit data concurrently to multiple users within the same frequency and time slot.

By providing the capacity and efficiency needed for AI-driven optimizations, MU-MIMO offers greater throughput, enhanced reliability, and higher speeds for end users. The release of Wi-Fi 7 saw extra support for the tech, providing more available MU-MIMO streams by doubling the number of spatial streams available from eight to 16.

“By being the first to verify and adopt AI-RAN in commercial networks, KT will continue to lead network innovation and strengthen its technological leadership,” said Kwon Hye-jin, head of KT’s network strategy division.

Kwon also underlined the test’s importance for Korea’s 6G era. The KT trial follows SoftBank’s claim to be the first Japanese telecommunications carrier to launch an outdoor trial of the 7GHz Band for 6G by SoftBank Corp.

Further testing by SoftBank will see both indoor and outdoor measurements within the trial zone, contributing to ongoing R&D for the commercialization of 6G in Japan. But, as recently reported by SDxCentral, telecom operators are not necessarily in a rush to deploy 6G technology, with many still absorbing major 5G network costs, and seeing little return on investment.