Home-grown WiBro Gets
Nod as Global Standard

Will provide the momentum for Korean companies to explore the foreign market

WiBro, developed by Korea, has been confirmed as one of the international standards for third-generation communications technologies, raising the possibility that related Korean equipment makers will strengthen their overseas presence, the Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC)said.
In a meeting held on Oct. 18 in Geneva, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) approved the Mobile WiMax platform, better known as WiBro (wireless broadband), as the sixth IMT-2000 3G telecommunications standard.
The decision will likely help local patent holders and WiBro-equipped device makers step up their presence in the foreign markets, the ministry said.
Song Yu-jong, director general of the ministry's Radio and Broadcasting Strategic Planning Bureau said, "It marks a watershed in the history of Korea's telecommunications technology. It is the first time for a Korean-developed technology to be recognized as a global standard, thus helping Korea maintain its international profile as an IT powerhouse.
"WiBro was developed under a state-initiated project, part of the MIC's so-called IT 839 Strategy, that covers the development of the technology and standardization for overseas market exploration in the planning stage and spectrum use. With the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) taking the initiative, Samsung Electronics, KT and SK Telecom collaborated in the development of the technology.
The project for the development of WiBro began in 2002. Korea succeeded in producing a mock-up of the technology in 2004 before demonstrating the technology in 2005. KT and SK Telecom launched the first-ever commercial services in June 2006. Currently, about 70,000 subscribers have already signed up for the WiBro services.
Globally, about 40 countries, including the United States, Japan, the UK and Taiwan are seeking to introduce WiBro services.
Samsung Electronics signed an agreement to provide WiBro equipment with U.S. telecommunications service provider Sprint-Nextel in August 2006. In the latest development, Samsung Electronics was also selected by Sprint-Nextel as a company to build up a network for providing WiBro service in New York, outbidding its rivals Nokia of Finland and Motorola of the United States.
Samsung Electronics'latest deployment of WiBro will enable the Korean electronics giant to establish the so-called WiBro belt covering six metropolitan areas of the eastern United States: Washington D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, Boston and Providence.
Posdata, another active company in the wireless broadband field, has agreed to provide WiBro equipment to Singapore.
ITU's approval of WiBro as an international telecommunication standard is expected to encourage foreign countries to advance the introduction of the WiBro technology. More countries in the Middle East and Latin America are likely to introduce the technology, providing the momentum for Korean companies to explore the foreign WiBro market.
Minister of Information and Telecommunication You Young-hwan said, "WiBro's selection as an international standard marks a monumental feat in the history of domestic mobile telecommunication. Following Korea's commercialization of CDMA, Korea will also gain the momentum to take the lead in the global telecommunication market."KOREA's WIBRO DEMONSTRATION IN JAPAN
Korean companies conducted a road show to demonstrate the WiBro technology to Japanese companies on Oct. 29 and Oct. 30 in Tokyo in connection with the Japanese government's upcoming selection of mobile telecommunications providers.
The road show, organized by the Ministry of Information and Telecommunication, attracted keen attention from the likes of NTT DoCoMo, KDDI and Softbank, which have submitted their project proposals to the Japanese telecommunications authorities in the run-up to the selection of mobile telecommunications providers.
Three consortiums including the one established by NTT DoCoMo and KT, are vying for the selection of Japanese mobile telecommunications providers.
The base station and terminal makers participating in the road show included Samsung Electronics, Posdata, LG Electronics and KT. Several repeater and module SMEs, including ALOGICS and C&S Microwave were also present. nw

Minister of Information and Telecommunication You Young-hwan

WiBro Smart Phone SPH-M8100