Samsung, KT announce 5G GiGA LTE, available for S6 and S6 edge today

You may think that your Galaxy S6 and S6 edge Download Booster is fast, and that 4G LTE is as advanced as it gets, but your better buckle your proverbial seat belt: It turns out that Samsung, the first smartphone manufacturer to produce a device on the LTE-Advanced (or LTE-A) network, the Galaxy S4 LTE-A, is revolutionizing wireless technology once again by bringing 5G GiGA LTE technology to the Galaxy S6, S6 edge, and future devices, reports The Korea Herald. The Korean manufacturer has partnered with carrier KT over the last nine months to inaugurate the new technology in its native country.

What is GiGA LTE? GiGA LTE, or 5G as some call it, is made possible by taking your fast, Long-Term Evolution (or LTE) networks and making them possible via Wi-Fi connectivity. Wi-Fi speeds are about to take a turn for the better. How much better, though? According to the report, the new GiGA LTE network will have a maximum download speed of 1.17Gbps – that’s right, “Gigabits per second –, a speed four times faster than tri-band LTE A networks, and upload speeds ten times faster than tri-band broadband LTE-A networks.

GiGA LTE (or 5G) will not become mainstream until about 2020, but that won’t stop Samsung’s latest devices from experiencing cutting-edge tech now. For Samsung’s latest device owners of the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge, GiGA LTE will become available to use today with a new firmware update that should be rolling out to devices even as you read this. Of course, the new GiGA LTE will become part of all Samsung’s high-end devices and a portion of the company’s mid-end devices in later 2015. LG Electronics will also release new devices this year incorporating 5G wireless capabilities.

KT will be the first Korean wireless carrier to deploy the technology for its customer base, but SK Telecom and LG Uplus have voiced approval for 5G wireless as well, so customers at those carriers should also see 5G wireless technology implemented in their phones soon.

KT Galaxy S6 and S6 edge customers should head on over to their settings and prepare for a firmware update. Have you received the update already? Are you noticing any faster internet speeds than before? You’re part of 5G wireless history, so let your voice be heard.