KT is preparing to launch LTE-A service this month using carrier aggregation technology to achieve downlink speeds of up to 150 Mbps. The Korean operator secured the 1.8 GHz frequency band at auction last week. The license covers 20 MHz in the band.
KT, which currently has about 6.5 million LTE subscribers, plans a nationwide rollout over the coming months, beginning in Seoul.
The company has about 100,000 base stations ready for upgrade.
KT also claims its LTE-A will be more energy efficient at the handset, enabling longer battery life for end users.
http://lte-a.olleh.com/lte/a/main.asp
In August, SK Telecom announced an expansion of its LTE-Advanced commercial service network, via its local entity Ericsson-LG, to downtown areas of 84 cities nationwide, including the entire Seoul metropolitan area and six other major cities. The carrier launched its commercial LTE-Advanced service earlier this summer, offering up to 150Mbps mobile broadband speeds, twice that of LTE. The initial launch included the entire Seoul area, the downtowns of 42 cities in Gyeonggi-do and Chungcheong-do provinces, and 103 campus towns.
SK Telecom plans to deploy 32,000 LTE-Advanced base stations by the end of the year, which will cover 84 cities nationwide and approximately 300 college campuses.
Ericsson confirmed its major role in the SK Tel upgrade, providing the software for Carrier Aggregation and multi-carrier technology for the B5 (850MHz) and B3 (1.8GHz) bands in South Korea’s southeastern regions, where Ericsson partnered with SK Telecom for the LTE network deployment and commercial service launch in 2011.
