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Chances are Not Good for WiBro based VoIP in Korea

An investment report predicted that VoIP service which is spotlighted as one of killer applications of WiBro service is not much likely to bloom at least in Korea.

The report said that there are too many conflicts of interest for the service to take a root in the local market. KT, the nation’s WiBro provider, might adopt VoIP in an effort to revitalize sagging business but it could erode voice service sales of KTF, KT’s wireless carrier affiliate.
 
In the report, NH Investment and Securities, a local stock brokerage firm, said that WiBro based voice service might be cheaper than mobile service, but problems such as fairness in frequency use, concerns over possible reduction in mobile service sales, and difficulties in device distribution would make it difficult to commercialize the service in Korea. “Some mobile operators in the U.S. or Southeast Asia could adopt mobile WiMax based voice service as a substitute for HSDPA service. But in Korea, if it would happen, it would be after 2011 when 4G service is expected to begin,” said NH.
 
If WiBro service is facilitated, KT would prevail in the market thanks to its experiences. It can also be an option for LG Telecom, which has yet developed a roadmap after cdma2000 1x EV-DO Rev.A service, said the report. LG Telecom, Korea’s smallest wireless carrier gave up on 3G business license and launched EV-DO Rev.A service recently to compete with HSPDA service of its bigger rivals.

KT Unveils WiBro-Based VoIP

KT unveiled its VoIP service over Mobile WiMAX. The telecom operator demonstrated the WiBro-based VoIP for over 100 participants in OECD Ministerial Meeting held from June 17.

For the demonstration, operator received 150 local- and long-distant phone numbers from Korea Communications Commission for Samsung Electronics’ SPH-M8200 with embedded VoIP software, which was handed out to delegates from nations around the world.

KT’s success in the demonstration will back up the argument that voice call service is necessary for boosting WiBro. Among others, the government decision is urgent. The Korean government has yet to approve the issuance of identification numbers for WiBro voice communications. WiBro frequency was allocated for data service only.

There are number of technical problems such as echoing sounds on the receiving part and break-off as the signal reception from existing mobile carriers is not perfect yet. In addition, the coverage limited to large cities is another obstacle to prompt start of WiBro voice service.

Posdata Provides Super-iMAX with WiBro Equipment

Posdata provides Super-iMAX, an Uzbekistan telecom operator with RAS, ACR and EMS for commercial WiBro service.

According to the Korean company, the WiBro systems to be provided this time are based on WiBro Wave 2, the core 4G technology including MIMO or Multiple-Input and Multiple-Output. 

Super-iMAX is the company that KT took over in last October to run wireless communications services including WiBro in the Central Asian nation. The Uzbekistan ompany has the rights for 2.3 GHz spectrum.

Super-iMAX will start network construction as early as in later this month and launch commercial service in September from Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, before the full-fledged nationwide service.

Posdata expects the supply of the WiBro systems for commercial service in Uzbekistan, the very gateway to Central Asia, will pave the way for the company's advancing into the local market earlier than others.

KTF CEO Says, "We are Developing LTE for 4G"

KTF, Korea’s largest WCDMA service provider, chose LTE or Long Term Evolution for 4th-Generation mobile service. President Young-Chu Cho of KTF said at Seoul EHR Forum 2008 held as a parallel even to the OECD Ministerial Meeting on Tuesday at COEX, Seoul, “KTF is working on the development of LTE, one of the 4G candidates with Samsung Electronics and ETRI.”

With KT providing Mobile WiMAX service, another candidate for 4G standard, KTF’s choice of LTE seems to reflect the telecom group’s attempt to achieve a certain presence in both technologies. The mobile carrier also considered the fact that NTT DoCoMo, its strategic partner already decided to support LTE.

In the US, Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility already confirmed their choice of LTE.

With carriers increasingly tuning to LTE, equipment providers are in a hurry to change their plans. Nortel which has made continuous investment in WiMAX is reportedly to switch its development focus to LTE. LG Electronics has concentrated on LTE from the very beginning. 

Test Frequency for TD-SCDMA and Mobile WiMax Assigned to SK Telecom and Samsung

Korea Communications Commission, a government agency responsible for the country’s broadcast and telecommunication policies, assigned test frequency for TD-SCDMA, a 3G standard deployed in China, mobile WiMax, MIMO antenna, and ITS services.

The commission decided to offer the 2.1㎓ band to SK Telecom for TD-SCDMA test, 2.5㎓ to Samsung for mobile WiMax, 2.3㎓ to Posdata and LG Nortel for another mobile WiMax, 5.8㎓ and 2-5㎓ to the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) for ITS and MIMO antenna development. As many as 50 base stations of the six businesses and institutes will be open for test use of industry players. 
 
About assigning two frequency bands to mobile WiMax, the commission said, “The 2.5㎓ frequency given to Samsung will be used to test equipment of Sprint, a U.S. wireless carrier while the 2.3㎓ to Posdata and LG Nortel is for WiBro service test.” It went on to say, “Based on the SK Telecom’s tests for TD-SCDMA service, we would be able to build a close relationship with China in mobile service field while more Korean device and transponder manufacturers have more business opportunities in the market.”
 
SK Telecom plans to conduct experiments on a couple of sections on the highway between Seoul and its office in Bundang city.  Samsung plans to make to most of the assigned frequency to develop WiBro Evolution technology, which was adopted as a 3G international standard.
 
ETRI, which is provided with the frequency band for MIMo antenna, one of the promising 4G technologies, is expected to adapt the technology originally developed for U.S. and Europe topography to the geographical condition of Korea.
 
ETRI also plans to use the 2-5㎓ frequency to develop an international as well as local standard of ITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems) that involve wireless communication between cars and traffic infrastructure thus enhancing drivers’ safety and traffic control.