• KT’s 2^nd generation GiGA WiFi promises up to 1.73 Gbps
• Improved QoE and added security as well

KT is launching ‘GiGA WiFi 2.0’ on the 22^nd, supporting up to 1.73 Gbps - twice faster than the current GiGA WiFi serving public areas like coffee shops, theaters, malls, apartment building.

The current GiGA WiFi, based on the global standards IEEE 802.11.ac Wave1, can achieve up to 1.3 Gbps (and up to 867 Mbps on mobile), and serve up to 512 active users concurrently. 

IEEE 802.11ac: 5G 802.11 wireless network standard specifications

GiGA WiFi: 802.11ac-based wireless standards capable of over 1 Gbps of transmission speeds

The new ‘GiGA WiFi 2.0’ is based on the next generation standards, IEEE 802.11ac Wave2 (Phase 2), and is known to support up to 1.73 Gbps for now, but up to 3.4 Gbps when upgraded.

GiGA WiFi 2.0: 2^nd generation 802.11ac that supports up to 3.4 Gbps through 160 MHz channel bonding

<GiGA WiFi Specifications> 

With GiGA WiFi 2.0’s 1.73 Gbps, an UHD movie (about 16 GB) can be downloaded in just one minute, or 100 songs in Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC) format (4 GB) in just 17 seconds.

In addition, the new service features Multi-User Multiple Input & Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) that offers improved quality of experience to customers and Wireless Intrusion Prevention System (WIPS) that detects and blocks access of unauthorized Access Points (APs) or devices, providing added wireless security. 

KT already has over 200,000 WiFi APs - the largest number in the nation - operating across the nation, with over 40,000 WiFi APs installed at major nationwide franchises like Starbucks, Café Bene, Twosome Place, CGV, Kyobo Bookstore, bus stops, underground malls, airports, KTX stations, and other major landmarks and apartment buildings, etc. Currently, around 310 million people are using GiGA WiFi, causing about 1,888 TB of wireless traffic every month.

GiGA WiFi 2.0 will be first launched in major landmarks like Seoul Central Station and Yongsan station, and then the service will go nationwide gradually.

KT mobile subscribers can use GiGA WiFi and GiGA WiFi 2.0 at no extra charge, and others can purchase ‘WiFi plans’ online or at any participating convenience stores. 

Anyone who uses GiGA WiFi-compatible devices like Galaxy S7, LG G5 or iPhone 6, etc. can use GiGA WiFi 2.0 without any upgrade or change. Once devices compatible with GiGA WiFi ‘2.0’ become available in the market, speeds of up to 1.73 Gbps can be supported on mobile as well.

Piljae Lee, head of the Marketing Strategies Division at KT, said, “KT became the first in the world to deploy the commercialized GiGA WiFi 2.0 network.” “Now we are exerting our efforts to further expand the coverage of the network.”