• KT operated 25 wireless CCTV units and 10 emergency contact devices over a separate 5G SA safety-management slice on 5 September
  • The deployment extended a June field test at a Gwanghwamun street-cheering event from staff communications to real-time video

The fact

KT used 5G standalone network slicing to support safety management at the Seoul World Fireworks Festival on 5 September. As the event's official technology sponsor, the operator ran 25 wireless CCTV units around Yeouido and Ichon Hangang Park and sent their video feeds in real time to an integrated control room. Ten emergency contact devices were also provided to safety staff for crowd management and emergency response.

KT separated the safety-management traffic from general visitor traffic on its 5G network and said this allowed the control room to receive the video without building separate dedicated lines. The deployment followed a June test at a World Cup street-cheering event in Gwanghwamun, where KT assigned separate network resources to event staff and local officials for communications, situation sharing and emergency contacts. KT published comparative results from that earlier test, but no comparable performance data from the fireworks festival has yet been released.

The assessment

The September deployment moves the same slicing model into a heavier event-safety workload. KT's June test focused on communications among staff and officials; this time the slice also carried continuous video from 25 CCTV cameras to the control room.

That changes how selected safety devices can be connected at a temporary event site. Instead of building separate dedicated lines, KT can place the devices on a logically separate part of its existing 5G SA network. What remains unclear is how the CCTV feeds performed at the busiest moments of the festival, because KT has not published comparable performance data.

For BTW readers, KT has moved from separating staff communications to carrying live safety video over the same 5G SA platform. Repeating that setup with measurable performance would show whether it can become a routine communications service for large events.

What to watch

Watch whether KT repeats the CCTV and emergency-device setup at another large event and publishes comparative performance during peak traffic. A defined service for event organisers or public agencies, particularly with measurable availability, latency or video-performance commitments, would mark a further step towards routine use.