Mobile World Congress 2011, Barcelona, Spain – 10 February 2011: SK Telecom, Korea’s number one mobile operator in terms of subscribers, will triple its broadband capacity and provide five times faster data download and seven times faster upload speeds from July 2011. The operator has selected Nokia Siemens Networks to provide Long Term Evolution (LTE) infrastructure, using its Flexi Multiradio Base Stations and NetAct network management system as well as implementation and care services. LTE stands for Long Term Evolution, a radio technology that is an evolution from existing 3G services, bringing higher mobile broadband data speeds and faster response times.

The operator will introduce LTE services in Seoul in July 2011 and expand its LTE network to other metropolitan areas by the end of 2012. Nationwide coverage is expected by the end of 2013.

Under the contract, Nokia Siemens Networks will provide its award-winning Flexi Multiradio Base Station, a perfect fit for SK Telecom’s advanced Smart Cloud Access Network (SCAN)* concept due to its unique modular and distributed design.

“SK Telecom has aggressive plans to deploy LTE in Korea. We will draw on our expertise in LTE as well as the experience gained from several LTE trials and implementations to help the operator put these into action,” said Ricky Corker, head, APAC region at Nokia Siemens Networks. “With our portfolio of world-class products, software and services, we aim to ensure a smooth and timely launch of LTE services in the country."

Nokia Siemens Networks will also provide its NetAct system to help the operator efficiently monitor, manage and optimize its network. Moreover, it will also provide a full set of hardware and software maintenance services along with strong local support to help ensure the best network availability.

Customers, press and analysts are welcome to view industry-leading LTE solutions at the Mobile World Congress in the Nokia Siemens Networks’ Experience Center in Hall 8, C01.