Qualcomm and Teleepoch
Enter Into a 3G CDMA Subscriber Unit License Agreement, October
6, 2007
MTN chooses Cambridge Broadband
Networks for multi-service wireless network in Rwanda, October 6,
2007
Brazilian government to
publish 3G bidding rules soon, October 6, 2007
KTF 3G service suffers
from technical problems, October 6, 2007
Argentina’s Personal
lunches 3G service in Rosario, October 6, 2007
Russia has it's first 3G
network, October 6, 2007
AT&T could drop Alcatel-Lucent
as 3G mobile network supplier, October 6, 2007
Enea Extends License Agreement
with ZTE for 3G Handsets, October 2, 2007
LG to unveil premium handsets
in Brazil, October 2, 2007
KTF 3G subscribers doubled
in less than 3 months, October 2, 2007
3G policy in India will
be non-uniform, October 2, 2007
- previous news
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SK Telecom set Dec 29 launch date for WCDMA
December 13, 2003
South Korean mobile operators SK Telecom and KTF are on schedule to launch
3G WCDMA services by the end of December. SK Telecom said its service
will launch on December 29 while KTF has yet to confirm a date but is
on course to deliver the service sometime in December.
SK Telecom will initially provide the service in Seoul only with a nationwide
coverage not expected until 2006, said spokesman Park Jee Hoon.
"Initial test services haven't been all satisfactory to be able to rollout
the service beyond the Seoul region," he said.
During the trials, users complained of spotty Internet connections and
bulky handsets. Voice connections were troubled with drop calls whilst
users were on the move.
Both SK Telecom and KTF already offers next generation services through
CDMA2000 1X EVDO technology, a rival of WCDMA. Park said there is little
distinction between WCDMA and EVDO technology and coupled with the lack
of advanced handsets for WCDMA will further delay the rollout of WCDMA
nationwide. Only two handsets from Samsung and LG Electronics are available
but with high price tags, ranging from 800,000 won (US$674) to 1 million
won.
"In terms of speed and quality, the W-CDMA service isn't different from
the current high-speed cell phone network," said Cho Shin, SK Telecom
vice president.
"Due to handset shortcomings such as short battery life and potential
software glitches, I think the W-CDMA adoption rate is not what we formerly
expected," according to Cho.
SK Telecom earlier this year cut its spending on WCDMA due to uncertain
demand for the WCDMA market. This and the lack of handsets lead to SK
Telecom delaying the rollout of WCDMA. The government is considering allowing
subsidies for W-CDMA handsets to give the news service a boost.
KTF, second largest operator in South Korea behind SK Telecom, said it
plans launch WCDMA services later this month in eight regions including
Seoul and outskirt cities.
"We haven't officially announced the launch date, but we are still on
plan to begin WCDMA service in the regions before the end of December,"
said a KTF spokeswoman.
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3G Motorola A920
