Samsung to strengthen partnership with GSMA

Samsung Electronics co-CEO Shin Jong-kyun, left, shakes hands with GSMA Director General Anne Bouverot at Samsung’s main office in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul, Wednesday. / Korea Times photo by Kim Yoo-chul

By Kim Yoo-chul

Samsung Electronics is seeking to strengthen its partnership with GSMA, pushing for faster devices supporting the Long-Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A) network.

GSMA is the global mobile trade association that runs several big trade events. Established in 1987, it consists of over 1,000 companies in 220 countries.

Samsung said Wednesday that GSMA Director General Anne Bouverot met with the company’s co-CEO Shin Jong-kyun at its main office in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul.

This is the first time that GSMA’s top management have visited Samsung.

Sources said among the top issues at the 90-minute meeting was how to introduce the much faster LTE-A telecom services, set up a standard for data volume and format amid the heavy data traffic, and expand GSMA-led mobile messenger app Joyn.

Shin promised advanced the talks with the GSMA in an upcoming IFA trade fair in September to be held in Berlin, Germany, while Bouverot gave her thoughts about Korea’s technologies.

“I believe Korea is the country that has many innovative features in technologies. I came here to learn something,” said Bouverot in a brief meeting with local media.

“GSMA will talk about more details about the meeting in a news conference in Seoul, Thursday,” GSMA Chief Strategy Officer Yang Hyun-mi added.

The GSMA chief also met with KT Chairman Lee Suk-chae and Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning Vice Minister Yoon Jong-rok.

“The key point is that GSMA is paying keen attention on Korea’s faster commercialization of LTE-enabled devices and it’s been studying about the trend,” said an official at the ministry.

“GSMA wants to get some perspectives from local mobile firms about how to effectively manage increasing data traffic amid the industry’s transition toward LTE and LTE-A networks. Also, the body needs a substantial help from Samsung Electronics to take off its Joyn apps,” said the official.