The first line of South Korean telecom provider KT’s innovative ‘GiGa Wire’ technology has been installed in the United States. The technology can get internet speeds of up to 1Gbps, with plain copper wire and without any fiber-optic cable. KT signed an MoU with the city of Boston, Massachusetts, in June, for the implementation of the new technology.
The technology has been available in Boston since September 18, according to KT CEO Hwang Chang-Gyu and Boston City CIO Jascha Franklin. It is the first case of a Korean company demonstrating Korea’s advanced communication technology in the USA, the company said, emphasizing the significance of the technology being supplied to Boston, a city steeped in American history.
The construction of the GiGa Wire in Boston is in line with the main policy pushed by the city, the Boston Digital Equity Project, aiming at bridging the digital gap. The GiGa Wire will also play an important role in solving a difficulty encountered by Boston, where it is difficult to improve network infrastructure due to the large number of historical buildings.
Boston has many buildings over 60 years old, making it difficult to set up in-building infrastructures and to improve the city’s network infrastructure. However, KT’s GiGa Wire technology solves this problem, thanks to its ability to improve the network environment of the existing buildings without doing any damage to them.
In collaboration with the Boston Digital Equity Project, the goal of this public-private partnership is to improve network infrastructure, providing high-speed internet to all, KT said. This plays into KT’s goal of creating a world where everyone has access to the internet without difficulty.
The GiGa Wire project pilot has started in Boston’s downtown and will cover approximately 130 households. Following this case study, KT’s various network technologies and smart solutions businesses are expected to rollout across the US, continuing with San Francisco.
“Without any additional construction, they were able to just switch the modem in my house, and now it feels like the internet is more than 10 times faster than it previously was,” commented Robin Jeffries who lives in Haynes House, one of the locations where the new GiGa Wire was set up.
“This Boston GiGa Wire project is an excellent example of what we can do to improve the American network infrastructure,” said KT CEO Chang-Gyu. “My hope is that this will contribute to the revitalization of the cooperation between South Korea and the USA in the IT industry. I hope that not just in America, but in all countries around the world, KT’s achievement will become a successful model of ICT technology.”
