SK Telecom launches WCDMA automatic roaming services with England’s T-Mobile, Netherland and Sweden’s Vodafone, Denmark’s Hi3G in England, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark.

Automatic roaming services allow the user to take his/her mobile phone overseas for usage without changing handsets or being designated a separate number. WCDMA automatic roaming services even allow video calling (video calling not available in Denmark).

With four European countries added, WCDMA roaming services may be used in a total of 12 countries, including countries where previously available, such as Italy, France, Germany and Spain. SK Telecom has built a foundation for deployment of a WCDMA roaming belt in the European region, from Sweden in the North to Spain and Italy in the South.

SK Telecom revealed that it will continue to expand WCDMA automatic roaming services in the Europe region, in countries such as Portugal, Finland and Austria, and in Asia in countries such as Malaysia, Brunei, and the Philippines.

Lee Sung-Young, head of SK Telecom’s Global Roaming Division, remarked, “The availability of WCDMA roaming in the Western European region, where a great deal of foreign travel demand is concentrated, will contribute to the promotion of WCDMA.”

Video calls in out-of-way areas? High quality wireless Internet content downloadable from anywhere in the country?

At SK Telcom’s Board of Directors’ meeting on August 31, a decision was made to expand investment to develop the WCDMA business, a 3.5G asynchronous mobile phone service, and to deploy a nationwide. HSDPA network.

Through the Board of Directors’ meeting, SK Telecom has decided to add an additional KRW 240 billion in 2006 investments in HSDPA, and complete the expansion of the nationwide network by the first half of 2007. Consequently, SK Telecom’s total investment in HSDPA this year increases from KRW 570 billion to KRW 810. However, the Company revealed that since the additional investment of KRW 240 billion is to be procured through investment cost savings resulting from limiting existing CDMA network investments to essential areas and adjusting investment priorities, there would be no change in the total capital expenditure for 2006 of KRW 1.6 trillion.

Such a decision by SK Telecom is one step forward from the existing strategy of deploying the HSDPA networks in 84 cities by the end of October this year and expanding the market through DBDM (dual-band dual-mode; uses both 800MHz and 2GHz frequencies) handsets.

SK Telecom remarked that the DBDM handsets supporting HSDPA lacked competitiveness compared to the existing 2G handsets in terms of width, design and price, resulting in higher marketing costs, and that there were limitations in promoting the 3.5G mobile phone market. The strategy is to release SBSM (single-band single-mode; 2GHz frequency exclusive) during the first half of next year when the nationwide network is deployed in order to continue acquiring market leadership in the WCDMA market.

Also, the Company plans to expand global synergy with prominent overseas businesses such as overseas roaming, global content and solutions, and concentrate its competency so that HSDPA may acquire differentiation as a next-generation mobile communications service.

Also, with the nationwide deployment of the HSDPA network, SK Telecom plans to maximize synergy through an appropriate portfolio strategy among networks including the existing 1X, EV-DO networks. Competitive advantage will be continuously maintained in the synchronous CDMA network (800 MHz) for voice and medium / low speed data, while the SBSM handset, which is cheaper than the DBDM handset, will be used to position the asynchronous HSDPA network (2 GHz) to provide advanced data and communications services to customers.

Going forward, SK Telecom plans to establish HSDPA, a 3.5G mobile phone, into a service based on four concepts to pursue sophistication of services:
1) “Visual concept”, focusing on high quality video calls, customer-participating content and mobile game upgrade;
2) “Internet concept”, by expanding Internet direct access services and linking with fixed line content;
3) “Global concept”, centered around automatic roaming services;
4) “Convenience concept”, focused on transportation cards, mobile banking, credit card settlements.

Bang-Hyung Lee, executive vice-president and head of SK Telecom’s Business Group, remarked “In order to cope with the rapid evolution of technology and diverse convergence services, it is necessary to provide diverse services that adhere to consumer needs and product purposes, through on optimum combination of several network technologies. SK Telecom is leading the development of the 3.5G market, being the first in the world to launch HSDPA handsets, one step forward from WCDMA, in mid-May, and by completing the deployment of the nationwide network by the first half of next year, we will provide HSDPA services with no inconveniences or disconnections to satisfy our customers.”

SK Telecom has launched “Overseas Internet Roaming Services”, through which the user can connect easily to the Internet with his/her e-station ID, password and mobile phone number, and allows the use of the Internet at low fees.

“Overseas Roaming Services” targets SK Telecom customers that frequently use their laptops overseas, such as for travel or business trips.

For the “Overseas Internet Roaming Services”, a partnership has been set up with iPass, the world’s largest VNO that has ties with approximately 300 local internet service providers around the world. It is a service through which wireline, wireless access is possible in the airports, cafes and hotels of approximately 70 countries around the world. Without a separate subscription process, the local Internet network can be accessed through the connection program with a single ID (e-station ID, password, mobile phone number), and the advantage is that fees are an average 10% lower than local rates. Payment is settled after usage, and added to the mobile phone usage fee, and thus it is convenient because separate settlement need not be made during travel or business trips.

In the case of laptops with a wireless LAN card installed, the service can be used in approximately 42,000 access points in 67 countries, such as the U.S., Japan and Europe where wireless connection is possible, while in the case of wired access, the service can be used in approximately 1,800 access points (hotels, airports, etc.) in 48 countries including the U.S., Australia and Europe.

Customers that wish to use the “Overseas Internet Roaming Service” must download the access program from SK Telecom’s roaming webpage (www.sktroaming.com) and install it in their laptops, and when overseas, move to wireless or wired line access points, and connect to the Internet with use of the connection program.

Fee plans per region are applied on a daily basis. In the case of wire line access, from 12 pm ~ 12 pm, rates are $9.32/day in North America, $18.7/day in Europe, $16.82/day in Asia-Pacific, and $18.7/day in other regions. For wireless access, from 0 am ~ 0 am, rates are $5.57/day in North America (excluding T-Mobile HotSpots), $9.99/day in North America (T-Mobile HotSpots), $16.82/day in Europe, $6.51/day in Asia-Pacific, and $18.7/day in other regions.

Inquiries into more detailed information on usage method, accessible areas and fee plans are possible through SK Telecom’s roaming webpage (www.sktroaming.com) or roaming customer center (1599-2011, charged) > 1. automatic roaming service guide (open 24hrs on business days, closed on weekends and holidays).

SK Telecom’s head of Global Roaming Business, Lee Sung-Young, remarked, “The overseas Internet roaming services complements the narrow coverage and high rates of existing wireless Internet services. Going forward, we will continue to expand overseas Internet roaming coverage, so that the service becomes an essential in overseas travel along with automatic roaming services.”