SEOUL, Korea – June 1, 2023 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. has announced an expansion of its collaboration with NAVER Cloud to launch a private 5G network for Hoban Construction, a leading construction, property development and manufacturing company. This network will be the first of its kind in the Korean construction sector, enabling the three companies to combine various 5G applications to enhance worksite safety and efficiency.

This expanded private 5G network collaboration follows Samsung’s announcement with NAVER Cloud in 2022, when the companies launched a private 5G network at NAVER’s new headquarters to power autonomous mobile robots.

Wireless communication is an essential part of environments supporting highly mobile workers and machinery. Samsung and NAVER Cloud’s collaboration underlines 5G networks’ ability to significantly improve worksite operations, and will include a variety of next-generation applications to enhance Hoban Construction’s workflow. New construction industry-specific 5G applications that will be utilized at the company’s worksite include:

•         Drone-based high-resolution monitoring will provide live inspection videos, reducing the need for on-site visits and enabling issues to be detected earlier.
 
•         IoT concrete strength sensors will support real-time monitoring of concrete temperature and strength, providing real-time, accurate information during the curing phase.
 
 
•         Construction site management solutions will help keep track of construction progress and optimize project outcomes. They will allow workers both on- and off-site to track progress, view floor plans and share updates through visual dashboards.
 
 
•         Smart safety jackets are equipped with gas detection sensors, 140-degree full HD cameras and safety buttons, creating a safer working environment by enabling potential safety risks to be detected earlier.

•         Real-time CCTV video monitoring will help reduce on-site hazards and errors with 4K video streaming capabilities. With wireless transmission support, CCTV cameras can be easily installed throughout worksites.

These 5G applications will streamline communications for human-to-human, machine-to-machine and human-to-machine interactions, helping Hoban Construction improve on-site collaboration and allocate resources more effectively.

“We are excited to partner with Samsung and NAVER Cloud to deploy Korea's first 5G private network in the construction sector,” said Kap Moon, Vice President of Management Division, Hoban Construction. “We look forward to using this advanced technology to enhance safety at our worksites, improve construction workflow, and provide workers with real-time data to allocate resources and deliver better outcomes for our projects.”

“This collaboration with Samsung and Hoban Construction represents an exciting milestone in our efforts to bring 5G to various industries in Korea,” said Sang-young Han, Executive Director at NAVER Cloud Strategy and Planning. “As Korea’s first private 5G common carrier, we are confident that the benefits of private 5G networks will be transformative for the entire construction sector, and we look forward to showcasing these benefits to the wider industry.”

NAVER Cloud has a license for private 5G dedicated spectrum in Korea, making the private spectrum available to enterprises. NAVER Cloud is also leading the project, managing partnerships with the IT companies providing various solutions.

For this project, Samsung provided its outdoor radios, baseband units and advanced core solution—5G Standalone Compact Core. These solutions support the mid-band (4.7GHz) spectrum dedicated to private 5G networks in Korea. Samsung’s 5G SA Compact Core is a “one box” solution that can run on a single server hardware, ideal for quick deployments and less complex operation.

“We are delighted to build on our collaboration with NAVER Cloud to bring new 5G innovations to Hoban Construction,” said Yong Chang, Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “Our advanced network technology will help construction companies in expanding what’s possible, by bringing forth new tools and applications that will optimize their operations and improve safety on-site.”

Private 5G networks have the potential to transform and improve business operations in many industries by enabling new use cases for automation, productivity and safety.
 
 Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions including chipsets, radios, and core. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung continues to drive the industry to advance 5G networks with a market-leading product portfolio ranging from RAN and Core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools. The company currently provides network solutions to mobile operators that deliver connectivity to hundreds of millions of users worldwide.