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SK Telecom Participates in Mobile World Congress 2015

2015.03.02 Print

Demonstrates advanced network technologies aimed at accelerating the evolution towards 5G; introduces 5G platforms in five different areas, namely IoT, location-based service, intelligence, commerce and Big Data; and unveils Lifeware, new consumer-centric IoT devices developed to innovate people’s daily lives

SK Telecom (NYSE:SKM) announced its participation in the 2015 GSMA Mobile World Congress to be held from March 2 to 5, at Fira Gran Via, Barcelona, Spain.

Under the theme of “Journey to the New World of Innovation,” SK Telecom will showcase advanced network technologies aimed at accelerating the evolution towards 5G; introduce 5G platforms in five different areas, namely IoT, location-based service, intelligence, commerce and Big Data; and unveil new consumer-centric IoT devices, or Lifeware, developed to bring innovative changes to people’s daily lives.

■ Advanced Technologies to Accelerate Evolution to 5G

SK Telecom will demonstrate 7.5Gbps data transmission through 3D Beamforming technology using millimeter wave (mmWave)* frequency bands. Due to saturation and fragmentation of frequency resources in bands below 6GHz being used today for mobile telecommunications, technologies that enable the utilization of mmWave frequency bands will play an important part in realizing early commercialization of 5G.

*Millimeter-wave (mmWave) refers to electromagnetic waves with a frequency of 30GHz to 300GHz, and wavelength between 1mm to 10mm.

The company will also showcase new telecommunications technologies, including Fast Data Platform for Network, T Oven and Quantum Cryptography System to enhance the completeness of the 5G network system.

Fast Data Platform is an innovative platform that prevents service quality degradation by collecting and analyzing Big Data generated by the network, and T OVEN is a technology capable of orchestrating a virtualized network.

Quantum Cryptography System is by far the best data security technology as it uses quantum mechanics to prevent hacking of data in transit unlike the traditional data security technology that uses a cryptography algorithm based on prime factorization. The system, once commercialized, will open a new paradigm in security of national backbone network, financial network and medical information network.

■ Five Different 5G Platforms in Areas of IoT, Location-based Service, Intelligence, Commerce and Big Data

At this year’s MWC exhibition, SK Telecom will also suggest how people’s lives will be transformed in the 5G era through innovative platforms designed to maximize the value of the 5G network.

Mobius, an open IoT platform based on oneM2M standards, offers advanced connectivity of devices, systems, and services that goes beyond machine-to-machine communications (M2M). SK Telecom will demonstrate SK Planet’s Weather Pong, a real-time weather information system that provides weather updates and forecasts through sensors installed in SK Telecom base stations.

The company will also showcase Beacon-based LBS Platform, a platform that utilizes beacons and highly accurate indoor positioning technologies to provide optimal location-based solutions. At its booth, SK Telecom will use Google Glass to allow visitors to gain first-hand experience of a beacon-based indoor location service that shows work manuals on Google Glass by identifying the accurate location of the user. Moreover, it will also unveil Connected Beacon, a mesh network created by beacons that can be remotely controlled via Internet connection, and Smart Beacon Light, an LED lighting control feature realized by applying the BLE Mesh feature to lighting.

Be-Me Platform is an intelligence platform that provides smart personalized services by analyzing information collected through various sensors embedded in user’s smart devices, location information and network access information. Built with an integrated algorithm, the platform can determine the user’s current situation and predict future actions. At MWC, SK Telecom will display Eggo-Mate, a personal assistant service that writes diaries, schedule meetings and sends messages on behalf of the user.

Smart Shopper is a commerce platform built with IoT-based telecommunications technologies to allow users to enjoy cartless shopping at retail stores. It makes shopping more convenient for customers by allowing them to use a designated device to scan barcodes on products and have them delivered to their homes.

T Hadoop DW is a Big Data Platform that can analyze unstructured data and flexibly scale up server resources depending on the amount of data that needs to be analyzed. SK Telecom has improved the performance of the platform by utilizing its extensive knowhow in real-time data traffic management.

■ ‘Lifeware,’ Consumer-Centric IoT Devices Designed to Innovate People’s Lives

SK Telecom will suggest a new Mobile Life through Lifeware, IoT devices developed to enhance customers’ convenience and well-being.

At this year’s MWC, SK Telecom will introduce for the first time Smart Band, a stylish wearable device, which not only notifies users’ of incoming calls, SMS•MMS, emails and SNS updates, but also promotes their health through activity tracking and motivation-enhancing features; and Smart Hearing Aid, a Bluetooth earset developed to better serve customers with hearing loss. It comes with a specialized app that enables users to fit the hearing aid to their specific hearing loss and hearing needs, after which they can enjoy high-definition voice calling and listen to music stored in their smartphones.

Furthermore, SK Telecom will also display Smart Beam HD, a laser pico projector; Linkage, a smart Wi-Fi audio; SolarSkin, a solar-charging smartphone case; and T Kids Phone JooN, a wearable phone for kids.

▶ Attachment 1: List of Exhibition Items

About SK Telecom

SK Telecom (NYSE: SKM, KSE: 017670), established in 1984, is Korea’s largest telecommunications company with more than 28 million mobile subscribers, accounting for over 50% of the market. The company reached KRW 17.164 trillion in revenue in 2014. As the world’s first company to commercialize CDMA, CDMA 2000 1x, CDMA EV-DO and HSDPA networks, SK Telecom launched the nation’s first LTE service in July 2011. SK Telecom also became the world’s first mobile carrier to commercialize 150Mbps LTE-Advanced in June 2013 and 225Mbps LTE-Advanced in June 2014 through Carrier Aggregation(CA). In line with its efforts to swiftly move towards the next-generation mobile network system, or 5G, it successfully commercialized 300Mbps tri-band LTE-A CA. As of December 2014, the company has over 16.7 million LTE and LTE-Advanced subscribers. Based on its strength in network operations business, SK Telecom is seeking new growth engines in areas of platform, Big Data and convergence business. For more information, please visit www.sktelecom.com or email to press@sktelecom.com.

▶ Attachment 1: List of Exhibition Items at MWC2015

Next-Generation Network	3D Beamforming for mmWAVE	“Key 5G network technology using ultra high frequency band” SK Telecom demonstrates 7.55Gbps transmission speeds through 3D Beamforming technology that enables the utilization of mmWave* frequency bands.
	T OVEN	“Uses a wide variety of virtualized telecommunications equipment as ingredients to cook a well-made telecommunications service” T OVEN is not only capable of orchestrating virtualized network equipment, including vRAN, vEPC, vIMS, vVAS, but can also manage the total life-cycle of the service, including deployment, monitoring, scaling, healing, migration, upgrade and termination.
	Fast Data Platform for Network Intelligence	“Innovative platform that enhances both customer experience and network operational efficiency through real-time analysis of Big Data” Fast Data Platform for Network Intelligence prevents service quality degradation by collecting and analyzing system/customer/service related Big Data generated by the network.
	Quantum Cryptography System	“The best data security technology available today” Quantum Cryptography System uses quantum mechanics to prevent hacking of data in transit unlike the traditional data security technology that uses a cryptography algorithm based on prime factorization. The system, scheduled to be commercialized as early as the second half of 2015, will ensure strengthened security in areas of national defense, finance and medical service.
IoT Platform	Mobius	“Open IoT platform based on international standards” Mobius offers standard-based open interface along with many features required for M2M services including device control. It enables diverse players to provide end-users with value-added, customized services by combining their ideas and technologies, regardless of device.
LBS Platform	Beacon-based LBS Platform	“Indoor LBS platform based on beacons and sensors” The platform utilizes beacons and highly accurate indoor positioning technologies to provide optimal location-based solutions like indoor route guidance, tracking and map to be used in exhibition centers, sports stadiums, shopping malls and factories. At MWC 2015, SK Telecom also unveils Connected Beacon, a mesh network created by beacons that can be remotely controlled via Internet connection, and Smart Beacon Light, a lighting control feature realized by applying the BLE Mesh feature to lighting.
Intelligence Platform	Be-Me Platform	“Intelligence platform that offers smart assistant services” An intelligence platform that provides users with an appropriate service for each situation by collecting and analyzing users’ diverse situation information. The platform is realized through the application of an integrated intelligence algorithm that thinks likes the user to predict his/her current situation and future action.
Big Data Platform	T Hadoop DW	“Big Data platform capable of analyzing unstructured data” T Hadoop DW can analyze unstructured data and flexibly scale up server resources depending on the amount of data that needs to be analyzed. SK Telecom has improved the performance of the platform by utilizing its extensive knowhow in real-time data traffic management.
Communication Platform	T Phone	“All-IP-based communication platform designed to deliver innovative call experience” As the world’s first dialer platform developed by a mobile operator, T Phone offers both voice and data services unlike the traditional dial application. It provides features like Visual ARS, smart phone directory search, spam call filtering and group calling. SK Telecom plans to open up its platform to enable businesses to use it as a means to promote their business.
UX Platform	T Action	“Sensor-based platform offering a more convenient way to control smartphone features” Based on SK Telecom’s home-grown gesture sensing algorithm and gesture recognition engine, T Action allows users to control smartphone features and even activate certain features of apps through their gestures.
Commerce Platform	Smart Shopper	“An omni-channel commerce platform designed to improve consumers’ experience through cartless shopping” Built with barcode scanning and NFC technologies, Smart Shopper allows customers to use a designated device to scan barcodes on products to add them to virtual carts, purchase the products and have them delivered to their homes.
	Smart Stamp	“An electronic stamp service platform developed to replace conventional ink stamps” Smart Stamp is an electronic stamp service that allows retailers to stamp directly on the customer’s smartphone to reward repeat visits. Enabled via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), the smart stamp app is activated automatically when the stamp device is placed over the smartphone. Retailers can benefit from this innovative marketing tool by either using SK Telecom’s smart stamp app or developing an app of their own based on the company’s SDK.
	Smart Credit Card	“Next-generation card platform that integrates multiple plastic cards into one electronic card embedded with BLE” Smart Credit Card allows users to integrate diverse cards, including credit cards, membership cards and transportation cards into one smart card, and manage the card through their smartphone.
	Shopkick	“Location-based personal shopping assistant” Based on BLE beacons, Shopkick recognizes customers’ location and movements to provide optimal and customized shopping-related information, coupons and points to their smartphones.
Lifeware	Smart Band	“Stylish and smart wearable watch” Smart Band, a chic looking yet highly functional wearable device designed for the fashion conscious, not only notifies the user of incoming calls, SMS•MMS, emails and SNS updates, but also promotes the user’s health through activity tracking and motivation-enhancing features.
	Smart Hearing Aid	“Bluetooth earset with a hearing aid feature” Smart Hearing Aid is a wireless earset developed to enable people with hearing loss to use hearing aids more conveniently at affordable cost. It offers a specialized hearing aid fitting procedure through a smartphone app, after which users can enjoy high-definition voice calling and listen to music stored in their music library.
	Smart Beam HD	“HD laser pico projector” The ‘Smart Beam HD, is a laser pico projector that can be wirelessly connected to a variety of smart devices. Built with laser technology, Smart Beam HD offers three times better image quality than its former version and even provides a focus-free feature.
	Linkage	“The smallest network audio in the world” Linkage is a Wi-Fi audio capable of providing features and quality that are incomparable to the existing speakers: It plays Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC) music files by accessing diverse sources including the user’s phone SD card, Internet radio stations and music streaming services; can be connected with up to 9 more units to offer surround sound feature
	SolarSkin	“Solar-charging smartphone case”. SolarSkin is a smartphone case that also acts as a solar-powered battery charger. Current generated by the solar panel is supplied to the smartphone to support seamless service even in emergencies.
	T Kids Phone JooN	“A Total Solution for Children’s Safety” T Kids Phone JooN is a standalone, wearable 3G phone for children that can be worn as a wristwatch or necklace. It offers diverse features including voice calling, SOS notification, real-time location tracking and Safe Zone settings.