Public to get a taste of 3G service with IS-95C
For all the present commotion about the 3G or third-generation mobile telecom
service - mostly over which of the three available wireless operators will take on the
less popular cdma2000 standard - the fact is the highly touted service won't arrive
until year 2003.
And even that timeframe is questionable. Officials of the three wireless operators
expect the 3G service, also referred to as IMT-2000, to be fully commercialized
after 2004 or 2005, with some putting the date as late as 2007 or 2008.
In the meantime, the public will do with cdma2000 1x, or IS-95C, an interim
wireless service that is able to do almost everything promised by 3G, despite being
slower, and with more limited network capacity.
IS-95C enables transmission of multimedia data at a speed 2 to 10 times faster
than currently available, while handling video conferencing, audio on demand, video
on demand and other multimedia services.
On Oct. 1, SK Telecom (SKT), the country's dominant wireless service
provider, began offering the new service, sometimes referred to as 2.5G for its
proximity to 3G.
"We decided to offer the service earlier than had been projected in response to
the rapidly increasing demand for wireless Internet service," said a SKT official.
It is also true that amid the projected delay in the implementation of IMT-2000
service that companies would want to stretch it out for as long as possible.
SKT said it expects to have 3 million subscribers to the IS-95C service by 2003
and the service available in 79 cities by next year. The company plans to invest as
much as 1.2 trillion won to build base stations around the country.
"We're aware of the accusations of redundant investments but it's also not right
for us not to make the technology we have not available to the public," said another
SKT official.
IS-95C can speed up to 144 kbps, and a significant advancement from the
existing IS-95A and IS-95B, which support data transmission at 14.4 kbps and 64
kbps-115.2 kbps. This means that it would take just six seconds to send data
equivalent to 100 pages of A4 paper using the IS-95C service.
"We have made many improvements on IS-95C from its predecessors. To name
a few, there are FEC, power control, and soft standoff. The increase in system
capacity will result in double the capacity for subscriber line accommodation. In
terms of data service, it will be as much as 100 times more effective than 2G," a
SKT official said.
Besides those features, IS-95C is compatible with IS-95B, while boasting an
improved call quality.
"Finally, while data transmission was often cut off with existing services. IS-95C
offers what's called Mobile IP function, which means transmission won't be cut off
even if the user moves around," the official explained.
The faster data transmission provided by IS-95C will make many multimedia
services available, including video conferencing, AOD, VOD, mobile shopping,
mobile banking, navigation, network game and e-commerce.
The nation's three PCS operators are also in the final stages of preparation to
launch IS-95C service.
Korea Telecom Freetel, which is to merge with Korea M.Com next year, also
successfully pilot-launched the new wireless data service. The company has begun
to offer a trial service in Seoul and surrounding areas starting this month before the
commercial launch in December. The service will be expanded to all the major cities
in the country in January 2001.
"The outlook for the IS-95C market is left to question for now. But our plan is to
occupy 50 percent of the market by 2004 when the 3G service is expected to take
off," said a KFT official.
LG TeleCom (LGT) has also launched a trial service of IS-95C earlier this month
in Seoul and the surrounding area. The service will be extended to five major cities
at the end of the year, the company said.
The wireless operator will spend about 200 billion won until early next year and
hopes to attract 200,000 subscribers to the IS-95C service by mid-next year.
In the case of LG Telecom, it has devised a way of upgrading its existing facilities
rather than building new transmission stations, thus reducing the projected
investment from 1 trillion won to just 200 billion won, company officials said.
"We are expecting to secure about 1.6 million subscribers by the end of next year
with support from the development of new handsets by makers like LG Information
and Communications," a LGT official said.
Consumers may not have to wait too long to take advantage of the service as
wireless handsets that can support VOD and AOD are expected to hit local shelves
as early as next week.
Samsung Electronics said that handsets that support IS-95C are all but ready to
go on the market.
"We actually delayed putting them on the market by two weeks in order to insure
their quality," said Hong Kyong-pyo, an official of Samsung Electronics which is the
first in the world to commercialize cellular and PCS terminals for cdma2000 1x
mobile Internet service.
The mobile handsets adopt Windows User Interface, allowing users to tailor the
menus and functions to their own needs.
The folder-type handsets sends large amounts of data faster, which increases talk
time by 30 percent and standby time by 100 percent of existing mobile phones.
The phones measure 85 x 45 x 18.8 centimeters, weighs 70 grams with a smaller
battery and allows 70-190 minutes of talk-time and 125 hours on standby.
The dual-display terminals will also be able to show the identity of callers on
outside display after caller ID service kicks off this year. The handsets are also used
in current IS-95A and 15-95B environment.
Updated: 10/26/2000
by Kim Min-hee Staff reporter
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