S Korea firm to launch super-fast wireless service -Governance Now

S Korea firm to launch super-fast wireless service

New service is based on Long-Term Evolution (LTE) technology; proposes to secure national coverage by 2013

PTI | July 1, 2011

South Korea's top mobile carrier SK Telecom said it would launch its super-fast 4G wireless service on Friday to meet growing demand from users of smartphones and tablet computers. The company said it would begin providing the new service, based on Long-Term Evolution (LTE) technology, in Seoul and would secure national coverage by 2013.

South Korean operators now use WiBro or WiMax network technology, but a fast increase in smartphone and tablet users has pushed them to deploy new networks for higher-speed data services.

SK Telecom said LTE would allow users to download large video content in minutes with a maximum downlink speed of 75Mbps, 1.9 times faster than WiBro. It predicts its LTE service will attract around 300,000 users in the second half of 2011 and 10 million users by 2015.

"LTE will rapidly become widespread globally, realised through the rapid pace of LTE smartphone and tablet adoption, LTE equipment upgrades, and provision of diverse LTE-based services," it said in a statement.

The company plans to introduce its first LTE smartphone in September, built with a LCD screen of 4.5-inches or bigger, and nine different LTE devices this year.

LTE will help open "a true ubiquitous era supported by ultra-high definition, high speed and multi-networking services", it said, adding about 65 percent of total data traffic would be handled by LTE networks in 2014.

Domestic rival KT Corp plans to launch a 4G service in November. LG Uplus Corp will embark on the advanced network service in Seoul from Friday.

"The introduction of 4G LTE networks will help realise a digital nomad lifestyle where people can use a wide variety of services regardless of place," SK Telecom said.

Comments

Other News

Maharashtra adopts hybrid model for Census 2026 data collection

The government has initiated preparations for Census 2026 in Maharashtra, introducing a hybrid approach that combines optional self-enumeration with comprehensive door-to-door data collection to ensure complete coverage across the state. According to senior officials, the Self-

What the nine Indian Nobel winners have in common

A Touch Of Genius: The Wisdom of India’s Nobel Laureates Edited by Rudrangshu Mukherjee Aleph Books, Rs 1499, 848 pages

Income Tax dept holds Ghatkopar Outreach on new IT Act

The Income Tax Department organised an outreach programme in Ghatkopar, Mumbai, to raise awareness about the key features of the Income Tax Act, 2025, effective April 1, 2026. The initiative is part of a nationwide effort to promote taxpayer awareness, simplify compliance, and strengthen a transparent, eff

Making AI work where governance is closest to people

India’s next governance leap may not solely come from digitisation. It will come from making public systems more intelligent, more adaptive, and more responsive to the dynamics at the grassroots. That opportunity is especially significant at the panchayat level, where governance is not an abstract po

Borrowing troubles: How small loans are quietly trapping youth

A silent crisis is playing out in the pocket of young India, not in stock markets or government treasuries, but in smartphones of college students and first-jobbers who clicked on the Apply Now button without reading the small print. A decade ago, to take a loan, you had to do some paperwor