South Korea Deploys 5G Tech for Airport Covid Checks

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Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) has been introduced by the South Korean Government at the Incheon International Airport. This will act as a potent preventive restriction to reduce the spread of the virus by travelling individuals. The system proposes an AI filter to be used in order to effectively screen potential Covid patients.

The Ingenious System

The system will scan the crowds of passengers for the ones without a mask or with Covid symptoms like high temperature, at the arrival and departure halls of the airport’s main gallery that is located to the West of Seoul. Kiosks and video surveillance mechanisms will be used for this screening. The announcement came from the Ministry of Science and ICT. The system will also be equipped with a disinfecting robot that can be initiated into motion to disinfect areas of the airport. The system incorporates the MEC technology that minimizes latency by sending data to nearby small scale data centers, rather than a centralised data center.

SK Telecom Co., the country’s largest wireless carrier, has installed millimeter wavelength (mmWave) band 5G base stations at the airport to operate this service. The system will also use the company’s new AI chip, the SAPEON X220. There has been a surge of 5G users in the country since the technology was first introduced last year. However, the mmWave 5G service rollouts are still in their nascent stages.

The Need for Such Measures

This measure comes at a time when the world is reeling with a resurgence of the health crisis and a more contagious new strain of the virus. The Government of South Korea has recognized the importance of using our latest technological know-how to filter and restrict the entry of possible carriers of the virus. One the most advanced techs of 2020, namely Artificial Intelligence and 5G networks are being instrumentalized to create a potent line of defense against the health crisis. LG Uplus Corp is the rival carrier, who is also testing the mmWave 5G at the KKumoh National Institute of Technology in Gumi, about 200 km.