By Yoon Ja-young
The start of the fourth-generation (4G) long-term evolution (LTE) era has introduced some innovative services.
SK Telecom, the nation’s biggest mobile carrier andthe first to launch LTE phones here, has been attracting users with new services that show how the new network can change daily life.
One of the core services on the LTE network is ultra-high definition video calls. Only 17.6 percent of 3G customers use video calls due to their poor quality and high cost. Video calls on 4G LTE, meanwhile, are of eight-times better quality compared with those on the 3G network and with less disconnection. Users feel as though they are conversing face to face. SK Telecom is providing video calls at the same price as voice calls until February next year to entice more customers to try it.
Another attraction of LTE is high definition video on demand (VOD), which faces hurdles in streaming and downloading on 3G networks. The new network, meanwhile, can provide users with the highest quality in video that can be shown on smartphone screens. SK Telecom has bolstered video content so that users can fully enjoy the service, with around 13,000 videos at its T Store, and 8,000 videos at Hoppin, an N-screen service platform where users can enjoy video content on devices such as smartphones, TVs, tablets and desktop computers.
High definition video has enabled SK to launch T Map HOT, an upgraded T Map for the LTE network. While the 3G T Map was a navigation service for drivers searching the shortest route, the service on the 4G network guides pedestrians to every corner of the smallest alleys, thanks to a network that is five times faster and enables video streaming with around two to three times higher definition compared. It guides users round such complicated areas like Myeongdong in central Seoul. They are offered views of their destinations in high definition that make them feel as if they are already there. Thanks to the speedy network, they can also upload reviews or photos right away to share through social networking services.
The old network has limited cloud services for storage and transmission of small amounts of data such as photos, contact lists and text messages. Cloud services on 4G, however, enable large-quantity data transmission and storage. If an MP3 song file can be uploaded in one minute on 3G, a mini album can be uploaded in the same time with 4G.
It also provides N-screen expansion services, enabling users to continue watching high definition video on T Cloud when they go out, and the users can share data based on their contact list as the cloud is linked with social networking services.
The game industry has high expectations for the LTE network as it will open doors for some games that weren’t available on 3G. Multi-players games, which require frequent data transmissions and involved graphics, were originally available only on desktops and laptops, but the speedy transmission of huge amounts of data on LTE and the consequent quick reaction make them available in your palms.
SK Telecom provides Dungeon Defenders, a game that multiple users can play as a team logging on to the network at the same time. It plans to release over 10 multi-network games the year.
“With the launch of the first LTE smartphone here in September, we have been leading LTE innovation with diverse special services,” said a representative for SK Telecom. He said high call quality, the best service and content and a differentiated handset lineup will be the firm’s priorities.