LAS VEGAS, January 4, 2006 - For the first time in the United States, Samsung demonstrates WiBro (Korean Wireless Broadband) service on one of its world's first Mobile WiMAX phones, the Samsung M8000. Samsung's WiBro service demonstration is an exciting precursor to the first commercial service in the Korean market slated for the first half of 2006.
WiBro, a Korean Wireless Broadband service based on the mobile WiMAX technology (IEEE 802.16e TDD OFDMA standard), is a wireless high-speed broadband service able to deliver voice, data and video at speeds of up to 120 km per hour. The Mobile WiMAX technology provides true mobile connectivity by giving users seamless broadband connections anytime, anywhere. Mobile WiMAX's advantages include a broad range of converged services delivered from a single, IP-based network. Home, business, and vehicular applications include Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), video telephony, multimedia messaging and conferencing, location and telematic services, broadcast, and multimedia push and demand services. Mobile WiMAX will drive revenue through delivery of broadband services to rural and suburban locations not accessible by current technology as well as creating broadband "hot zones" in more densely populated areas. WiMAX is also capable of delivering access and transport convenience and cost savings through wireless backhaul.
Using its M8000, a smart phone equipped with a QWERTY keypad, Samsung showcases WiBro services available in the Korean market through a series of applications including broadcasting, home networking, video conferencing, video on demand, mobile navigations, and push-to-all (push-to-talk/data/video).
"Samsung is excited to showcase WiBro services on Mobile WiMAX technology, network infrastructure, and devices at CES," said Kitae Lee, president of Samsung's Telecommunications Network Business. "As a leader in developing Mobile WiMAX globally, Samsung knows the tremendous benefits this technology offers consumers. Our demo at CES is a preview of what we are commercializing in Korea during the first half of this year, and hope to eventually roll out in the U.S."
About Korea's WiBro Service
WiBro (Wireless Broadband) is a service that provides high-speed broadband communications in the mobile environment, anytime anywhere. WiBro is based on Mobile WiMAX technology, which is based on IEEE 802.16e TDD OFDMA standards. In February 2002, the Korean government allocated 100 MHZ of frequency spectrum in the 2.3GHz bandwidth. WiBro offers an aggregate data throughput of 20 to 30 Mbps from base stations with a cellsite radius of 1 km~5 km. Samsung and Korea Telecom showed the fully expanded coverage of WiBro services at the APEC 2005 Summit in Busan, South Korea (November 15~21, 2005).
About Mobile WiMAX Global Roll-out
Trial Service
March 2005 KDDI (Japan)
August 2005 BT (UK)
September 2005 SprintNextel (US)
November 2005 TVA (Brazil)
November 2005 TI (Italy)
Commercial Deployment
December 2005 Omnivision (Venezuela)
