South Korean mobile carrier SK Telecom said on March 25 it has completed key tests of its 5G network on Samsung Electronics’ upcoming 5G smartphone as part of preparation for its commercial rollout next week.

SKT said it has conducted extensive tests on Samsung’s 5G flagship smartphone over the past two months, including interoperability with its 5G network, interface and frequency, as well as on some 100 scenarios.

The company said it will inspect the new smartphone in factories this week for a last-minute checkup before its launch in the Korean market on April 5.

It will be the world’s first 5G smartphone, coming a week before US carrier Verizon’s first 5G smartphone service on Motorola’s MotoZ3, slated for April 11.

SKT said its dual connectivity technology, which combines 5G and 4G LTE mobile networks, will deliver up to 2.65 gigabytes per second wireless speed.

The carrier said the 5G smartphone, powered by its dual network, can send data 80 percent faster than devices with sole 5G connectivity, which would enable the latest Galaxy smartphone to download a 2-GB high-definition movie in just six seconds.

SKT said it will support 2.6 Gbps data transmission speed in the initial stage and upgrade the speed up to 2.7 Gbps within the first half of the year.

Last week, the state-run National Radio Research Agency said Galaxy S10’s 5G model has passed its signal verification test, giving the green light for its launch in the domestic market.

By Ram Garikipati and newswires (ram@heraldcorp.com)