South Korea’s No. 2 telecom carrier said Friday that it has won a pilot project from the government to build a nationwide public safety network based on Long Term Evolution technology – the first of its kind globally.

The new Public Safety-LTE system aims to allow fire, police and rescue responders to better communicate with each other using a standard device that operates on the same frequencies.

The government plans to pour 2 trillion won ($1.7 billion), attracting network operators and equipment-makers in and outside the country. Considering the maintenance costs over the next 10 years, the total project size could surge to 3 trillion won.

A consortium led by KT has been named the first project operator, with SK Telecom becoming the second. The government has earmarked 33.8 billion won and 8.2 billion won for each project.

KT said it would carry out the pilot project for seven months in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, where the 2018 Winter Olympics are to be held.

The project includes design of the system, development of compatible security testing systems, building the control center, installing a base station and devices, and the final testing.

“We are taking the first step to pave the way for the world’s first LTE-based public safety network,” said Song Hee-kyoung, KT’s executive director of the public customer division.

Communications breakdowns have often hampered responses to disasters. Experts say that developing better communication systems is one of the key challenges in ongoing efforts to improve security preparedness.

Competition is also heating up among equipment companies to join the Korean project because securing the first deal will become a boon for their planned businesses with other governments around the world.

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)