On July 15, LG Uplus announced the commercialization of a 5G private network—referred to as “5G Leasing”—for the Airport Railroad. This marks the first instance of such an initiative among domestic rail operators and establishes a foundation for digital transformation (DX) in the railway industry, accelerating the advent of the next-generation rail communication system, 5G-R.
Through this project, the Airport Railroad has become the first rail institution in South Korea to implement a 5G private network at its work sites. The Airport Railroad is a major metropolitan transportation route utilized by an average of 286,281 passengers daily (as of the first half of 2025) and surpassed 1.1 billion cumulative passengers this past May.
LG Uplus has completed the installation of 5G private network equipment and inspection at the Geomam office and Yongyu vehicle base for the Airport Railroad. The company plans to modify train-based equipment to transmit and receive train operation information in real time over the 5G network within the year. Moreover, to safeguard against cyber threats such as hacking, LG Uplus has significantly enhanced security by employing Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC)-based USIM, a first of its kind application in Korea.
Previously, the Airport Railroad operated using an LTE-R wireless network. With the introduction of the 5G private network, a fast and secure communication infrastructure optimized for high-volume video transmission and IoT-based facility management has been established, laying the groundwork for digital transformation.
The deployment of the 5G network is considered a pivotal turning point that enhances the digital capabilities of the entire railroad industry, transcending a mere network upgrade. The Airport Railroad plans to leverage real-time collection of critical data, such as fault information and component status during train operations, to enhance maintenance and shift to a wireless-first work environment fostering a communication-centered corporate culture.
In addition, LG Uplus co-hosted a "5G Private Network Utilization Workshop" with the Airport Railroad last May. This event explored potential collaborations by sharing domestic and international case studies. Discussions included the application of 5G networks in various railroad operations such as vehicle maintenance and station management, and explored expanding the network to major stations like Seoul Station.
Park Seong-yul, Head of LG Uplus Corporate Business Innovation Group (Executive Director), stated, "The Airport Railroad’s private network construction project is an integrated initiative in which LG Uplus participated in all stages, from design to equipment implementation."
Source: https://www.koreaittimes.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=143476
