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KT Starts Mobile WiMAX Rental for Foreigners

Foreign visitors to Korea will have easy access to mobile WIMAX service.

KT, the South Korean WiBro service provider announced the launch of WiBro rental service in May at Incheon International Airport. Accordingly, foreign travelers in Korea will be able to use wireless internet for free during the one-month test period from May first before the start of paid service in June. 

Those who want to use WiBro rental service have to lease a WiBro modem (KWM-U1000) at the airport and connect it to their laptop. The deposit of $50 will be refunded when the modem is returned at the departure terminal.  

KT expects the rental service will save foreigners visiting Korea for the tourist or the business purpose the burden of subscribing to wireless broadband service.

From June, KT will charge rental users about 5,000 won ($ 5) a day which will cover not only a modem but also a notebook computer. In Korea, WiBro service is available in a limited number of areas including Seoul.

KT Changes WiBro Home Screen to Iconic Interface

KT opens up Real Mobile Web browsing on the home screen of its WiBro service. The interface is also changed from text to iconic forms.

The new UI enables users to move to each service by touching icons that can be added or deleted depending on user preference. Users can easily edit the home screen thanks to drag and drop function, said KT. Frequently used menus can be approached through hot keys. 
 
KT explained that Real Mobile Web service is a more developed form of full browsing because it ensures PC-like web browsing, writing, file upload, download and video play using a technology called "Semi Transcoding". 
 
As the service restructures the screen on the Internet to best fit for mobile phones, users don't have to enlarge or reduce the screen while flash or pop up advertisements are not displayed. Users can make reservations and pay for movie, play, transportation and other performances on the new web service, said KT.
 
The service will become available on Samsung SPH-M8200 mobile phone first and also be provided on SPH-M8100 within May.

Samsung Provides UQ Communications with Mobile WiMAX Equipment

Samsung Electronics announced it had obtained the exclusive contract for providing UQ Communications with Mobile WiMAX equipment.

The first Mobile WiMAX system established by Samsung in Japan is Mobile WiMAX Wave2 including core 4G technologies such as MIMO or Multi Input Multi Output antenna, according to Samsung Electronics. 

UQ Communications plans to begin commercial Mobile WiMAX service in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya in the summer of 2009, and expand the service throughout Japan.   

Samsung said, "Winning the deal for Mobile WiMAX after CDMA in Japan testifies to the technology prowess of Samsung." The company added, "Samsung will keep close ties with UQ Communications so that Mobile WiMAX can make headways in the Japanese market."

Samsung is running Mobile WiMAX operation in the US, the Middle East and Latin America and plans to advance into wider world by making inroads into Europe and Southeast Asia this year.

Samsung, Posdata Receive Mobile WiMAX Certifications

Samsung Electronics and Posdata achieved internationally accepted certifications for their Mobile WiMAX technologies. 

According to Telecommunications Technology Association of Korea (TTA), 8 items including base stations and terminals of 1A Profile (WiBro, 2.3GHz band) submitted by 4 Mobile WiMAX companies in the world passed TTA’s tests for RF conformity and interoperability, and, as a result, all 8 items including 4 of Samsung Electronics and Posdata achieved TTA certifications.

The first Mobile WIMAX certification tests were held by TTA and AT4 Wireless, the lead lab of WIMAX Forum for three months from January at AT4 Wireless in Malaga, Spain.

Samsung Electronics obtained the certifications for Mobile WiMAX Wave 1 base station currently used by KT WiBro and the PC card typed terminal using the company’s own modem chipset technology. Samsung says, “We will attain the certification for Mobile WiMAX Wave 2 soon and enhance our presence as a Mobile WiMAX technology leader.

Posdata had its original base station and the USB-typed terminal marketed by KT certified by TTA. The company expects the official recognition of its Mobile WiMAX products for reliability and performance by an international institute will give a boost to its drive for new markets at home and abroad.

Mobile WiMAX was approved as an international standard for IMT-2000 in October 2007.

Korea, China, Japan Collaborate on 4G Standardization

CJK Meeting on Information and Telecommunication Standards, a trilateral ICT industry association between Korea, China and Japan, gathered in Okinawa, Japan and discussed ways to cooperate in IMT-Advanced, next generation communications networks, network-based RFID and other issues.

In the meeting concluded on April 2, the participants agreed on proposing minimum requirements for the 4G standard which will be decided at ITU-R WP5D meeting in Dubai in June. They also decided to form a special group for IMT-Advanced technology. The Meeting would discuss the proposal in details and finalize it in a meeting to be held in Korea in June. The final proposal co sponsored by the three Northeast Asian countries will be submitted to ITU.
 
Telecommunications and Technology Association (TTA), the Korean participant, said that the agreement is meaningful because it offered an opportunity for the three countries to lead 4G standardization process. In the meantime, 3G standardization was led by the U.S. and European countries.

Samsung, Sprint Embark on Strong Marketing for Mobile WiMAX

Samsung Electronics and Sprint Nextel are running joint marketing in preparation for the launch of commercial Mobile WiMAX service, Xohm.

Sprint Nextel will start commercial Xohm service later this month in Washington and Baltimore before expanding the service area. Samsung will establish commercial network for Xohm in 6 eastern cities in the US such as New York, Washington, Baltimore, Boston, Philadelphia and Providence.  

At CTIA 2008 in Las Vegas, Samsung unveiled base stations and devices for Mobile WiMAX service. E100, a single-mode Xohm device, the shape of PC card will be launched in June. Q1 Ultra Premium, a UMPC (Ultra Mobile PC), will become Xohm-enabled from next autumn. U-RAS Light Series 3 and U-RAS Flexible are base stations for commercial Xohm service.

Sprint Nextel has a separate booth for Samsung at the showroom for Xohm so that visitors can try various Mobile WiMAX services. Xohm service is based on Wave 2 realizing twice the speed and bandwidth of Wave 1.