WiBro Spreads Its Wings

ITU agrees to designate 2.3GHz, used for WiBro, as one of IMT 4G radio frequency bands; Samsung Electronics, KT, ETRI, SK Telecom collaborate in development & spread of the technology

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) agreed that 2.3GHz, used as the frequency band for WiBro (wireless broadband), also known as WiMAX, will be designated as one of the four IMT 4G radio frequency bands.
The next-generation mobile technologies, known commonly as "4G"will be put into commercial service from 2010 or later with a maximum speed of 100Mbps in a mobile environment and 1Gbps in a stationary environment. This means that the 4G technologies will allow the download of an 800 MB cinema film in 5.6 seconds.
Earlier, the World Radio Conference (WRC), held on Nov. 19, approved the Mobile WiMax platform, also known as WiBro, as one of the IMT-2000 3G telecommunications standards.
The decisions will likely raise the possibility that Korean companies could get a jump on the competition in the global 3G and 4G telecommunication markets. The reason is that Korean companies, which have accumulated enough experience and expertise in telecommunications equipment and handsets suitable for the 2.3GHz band,
will be able to rush ahead of other countries.
Song Yu-jong, director general of the ministry's Radio and Broadcasting Strategic Planning Bureau, who headed the Korean delegation at the WRC, said, "Following the approval of WiBro as a 3G telecommunications standard, global acceptance of its radio frequency band for 4G telecommunications services will allow worldwide roaming services."In reality, once any technology is designated as a global standard and its radio frequency band is accepted, foreign telecommunication equipment makers will not ignore the fixed frequency band.
"Even if a foreign company chooses to adopt another radio frequency band, it will have to release multi-band products compatible with other radio frequency bands,"said Park Yoon-hyun, director of the MIC's Radio and Broadcasting Policy Team.
Out of the seven frequency bands discussed during the WRC on Nov. 16, four frequency bands - 2.3-2.4GHz and 3.4-3.6GHz - were designated as IMT 4G radio frequencies.
The 2.3 GHz frequency band was used for satellites before Korea adopted it as the world's first mobile telecommunications band. Currently, 12 countries including the United States and Malaysia, have adopted or are seeking to adopt the 2.3GHz frequency band for their mobile telecommunications services.
SK Telecom adopted the 800MHz frequency band in 1996 when it first launched Code Division Multiple Access. The frequency band for WiBro is higher compared to that for CDMA telecommunications. The higher the frequency band, the higher the speed of data transmission.
Earlier, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT) said the ITU's designation of WiBro as a 3G telecommunications international standard will likely help local patent holders and WiBro-equipped device makers step up their presence in foreign markets.
Song 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, ETRI, 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 (CEO Nam Joong-soo) 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 to U.S.
telecommunications service provider Sprint-Nextel in August 2006. In the latest development, Samsung Electronics was also selected by Sprint-Nextel 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, New York, Boston and Providence.
Samsung Unveils Latest Mobile WiBro Devices to Korean Market
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in telecommunication network systems and handsets, unveiled the four latest mobile WiMAX devices for the Korean market. The devices were upgraded from previous mobile WiMAX devices in terms of design and functions. One PDA-type (SPH-M8200), one mobile convergence device (SPH-P9200) and two USB modem-type (SPH-H1300, SWT-200K) devices have been launched. All four mobile WiMAX devices are currently available through Korea Telecom (KT)'s mobile WiMAX network.
Choi Gee-sung, President of Samsung's Telecom Network Business, said, "We will continue to introduce mobile WiMAX devices and expand our portfolio of mobile convergence devices,"adding, "Samsung will continuously drive the market with pioneering telecommunication technology and services not only in Korea but also overseas. Samsung will meet the demands of mobile WiMAX services and convergence devices by delivering the products that reflect consumers"demands."Samsung was the first company to launch mobile WiMAX commercial services in Korea. Korea Telecom (KT), the largest fixed line operator, and SKT, the largest mobile operator, in Korea have been offering commercial mobile WiMAX services since June 2006. There are currently over 83,000 subscribers who enjoy multimedia communications on the move in the Seoul metropolitan area. Since the ITU chose mobile WiMAX technology as one of the 3G mobile technologies in October, Samsung has actively expanded its mobile WiMAX device portfolio by introducing these new devices.
SPH-M8200 is a PDA type mobile WiMAX device that supports mobile WiMAX and CDMA EV-DO connectivity. This bar-type device is 16.6mm thin and has enhanced usability with a full touch screen. It supports Terrestrial DMB, Bluetooth, file viewer and enhanced UCC-related functions such as video editor and background music.
The SPH-P9200 is the true convergence device capable of voice and multimedia data communications through mobile WiMAX technology. The expected growth of mobile WiMAX services will result in an increasing demand for multi-functional devices. With Microsoft Windows XP as the operating system, users will find the contents and applications familiar and easy to use for work and play. It supports voice, video-telephony, mobile WiMAX, HSDPA and Wi-Fi. The SPH-P9200 has implemented a foldable device for increasing mobility with a touch-mouse function to increase usability. Users are able to run applications such as MP3, VOD and games without folding out the keyboard.
The SPH-H1300 and SWT-H200K are USB-type modems, which can be connected to laptops for quick use of mobile WiMAX technology. With the swivel-type design, users can comfortably plug in the USB and automatically connect to the PC program.
Mobile WiMAX service is offering the fastest data communication with full-mobility among existing telecommunication technologies. Since mobile WiMAX technology is based on IEEE 802.16e OFDMA TDD, all IP-based, more effective and convenient mobile broadband services are possible with the existing IP infrastructure. Users can enjoy mobile broadband services, anytime, anywhere, on any device and even on the move. nw

Minister of Information and Telecommunication You Young-hwan

KT CEO Nam Joong-soo

Choi Gee-sung, President of Samsung Electronics"Telecom Network Business

Models display advanced WiBro handsets, produced by Samsung Electronics.