Samsung and KDDI Demonstrate Real Time 4K Video Communication Powered by 5G at a Japanese Train Station

Samsung Electronics and KDDI today announced that they have successfully completed a 5G test with real time transmission of 4K ultra-high-definition (UHD) surveillance video on a train platform, the first in Japan. Together with Waseda University, Keihin Corporation, and Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR), Samsung demonstrated effective communications through 4K UHD video using a 28GHz band 5G base station to enhance passenger safety in Tokyo.

The demonstration was conducted from November 21 to December 21, 2018 at the Haneda Airport International Terminal in Ota, Tokyo. As the number of incoming visitors is steadily increasing, Samsung and KDDI have been working on the real-world scenario, powered by 5G, to make their travels safer and more convenient.

“There was a specific need with this project to provide high quality video in a way that was robust enough to be relied upon on a busy transport network in Tokyo,” said Yoshiaki Uchida, Member of the Board, Executive Vice President at KDDI. “It was therefore imperative that we work with Samsung, a company we have an existing 5G relationship with, as well as other trusted partners to deliver a solution that will help the train system provide a better service in the 5G era.”

“When dealing with security solutions, there is little room for error, so we had to build a service that made the best use of the high speeds offered by 5G,” said Paul Kyungwhoon Cheun, Executive Vice President and Head of Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “Through our collaboration with KDDI, we showcased the potential for 5G technology to offer levels of quality and security that were previously unthinkable.”

Leveraging 5G has enabled the successful transmission of a large amount of video data, which used to be difficult to achieve through traditional mobile communications. Collecting and analyzing 4K UHD videos in real time will remove some of the burdens from the staff in charge of constantly monitoring footage. It will also aid them in detecting dangers in advance and improving overall safety.

During the demonstration, the video files collected from both 4K security cameras and security robots patrolling the station were sent via tablets using 5G. Then, the files were received by the base station to be displayed on the monitor and VR goggles in the monitoring room. Moreover, detecting any suspicious people or objects at the station was all possible through collecting and analyzing the received 4K files shown on the server.

Samsung’s 5G solutions were used to conduct the demonstration. KDDI was responsible for assessing and designing the 5G test environment at the train station, which was provided by Keikyu Corporation, while Waseda University provided the monitoring system, VR goggles and video evaluation.