Looks like SK Telecom wants to go with W-CDMA....Does anybody have an idea how much more it might cost to take an IS-95 system and upgrade it to W-CDMA instead of CDMA2000?
Of course if these speeds are accurate then KT Freetel will destroy SK Telecom by the time they come out with W-CDMA....128kbps in May of 2002 <g>.
koreaherald.co.kr
SK Telecom conducts successful test of IMT-2000
service with NTT DoCoMo
SK Telecom (SKT) and Japan's NTT DoCoMo (Nippon Telegraph and
Telephone Mobile Communications Network) conducted Korea's first-ever
demonstration of IMT-2000 technology in a mobile environment.
The demonstration took place in a moving van near SK Telecom's research
center in Pundang, Kyonggi Province. The 128Kbps transmission speed allowed a
15-minute multimedia call between SKT President Cho Jung-nam using an ISDN
(integrated services digital network) handset in a van and NTT DoCoMo President
Keiji Tachikawa at a videoconference room in Tokyo.
IMT-2000 system demonstrations in Korea have so far taken place in labs or
exhibition halls, in a fixed position over short distances. This is the first time that
international long distance roaming has been demonstrated using an IMT-2000
system.
"At this speed, we are confident that we can begin offering commercial service in
May 2002," said Cho. There is agreement between SKT and NTT DoCoMo to
provide international roaming service between the two countries in time for the
World Cup in 2002, he added.
"What is important is that we be are the first to offer the service. This is because
early entrants have a tremendous advantage over later-entrants in the wireless
telecom market. Once the technology is there, the market will follow," said Cho in
explaining the significance of yesterday's demonstration.
The need to be one of the first to enter the market was used to explain why the
company, which is currently working with 42 Korean firms to develop its own
IMT-2000 system, used mostly NEC equipment for yesterday's demonstration.
"The company is a telecom operator and what is important is that it takes the lead in
offering the service," said an SKT official in explaining the apparent contradiction.
More field tests will follow yesterday's successful demonstration to achieve
transmission speed of 384Kbps, according to the company. IMT-2000 trial
systems will be deployed in Seoul and Pundang for field tests and a trial service will
take place next year, the company said.
SK Telecom and NTT DoCoMo have been working closely to achieve
international roaming between Korea and Japan and to jointly develop W-CDMA
(wideband code division multiple access) technology.
NTT DoCoMo is Japan's largest mobile operator with 28.4 million subscribers
as of last November. The company, spun off from NTT in 1992, provides mobile
phone, paging and satellite communications services. |
