LG Uplus boosts LTE broadcasting service for B2B

By Yoon Sung-won

LG Uplus said Tuesday it has improved its long-term evolution (LTE) network live broadcasting service for the business-to-business (B2B) sector and the government’s disaster response system.

The move came as the nation’s smallest mobile carrier is looking for a new income source, tapping into its nationwide high-speed mobile network. As part of such efforts, the company has been working to participate in a national project to build the LTE-based public safety network.

“We will propose the new service in our bidding for the national project,” LG Uplus’ network technology unit Vice President Park Song-chul said during a press conference at the company’s office in Sangam-dong, western Seoul, Tuesday.

“In terms of nationwide network coverage, we have room to accommodate more data traffic because we have fewer subscribers compared with other telecom firms. We are considering using our spare capacity to establish the public safety network, helping the government to cut expenses.”

Since the sinking of the ferry Sewol last year, which left more than 300 dead or missing, the government launched a project to establish an LTE-based public safety network. Network equipment makers such as Samsung Electronics, Nokia, Ericsson, Huawei and Alcatel-Lucent, as well as the three local telecom firms ― KT, SK Telecom and LG Uplus ― have competed to join in the project.

The company said it can provide the LTE live broadcasting connection to up to 10 users at the same time in one network cell coverage. With additional network capacity, the service is expected to cover many more people in extensive disaster situations, the company added.

During the event, LG Uplus showcased the LTE-based multilateral video control system dubbed “LTE Video Network Control.” The company has already commercialized the one-on-one LTE live broadcasting service for personal users in June.

Park said the LTE live broadcasting service will help clients establish systems for video teleconference and emergency disaster control.

“Compared with other mobile carriers, LG Uplus has faster LTE uplink speed and thus our network is capable of transferring a full high-definition live broadcasting service,” he said. “Our LTE network provides the voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) while streaming videos at the same time. We are also the only service provider here that supports real-time broadcasting on the LTE network.”

LG Uplus already has reached out to enterprise clients for the service and is expecting to launch it starting in the latter half of this year, Park said. He also said the company has not yet decided how to generate profits out of the service.

The telecom company demonstrated the system in a simulated emergency situation and connected four points including the network control center and the site through a real-time video relay.

“This technology will help businesses and organizations overcome limits in time and space,” LG Uplus’ chief technical advisor Jung Hyung-lok said. “We will connect this technology to various wearable devices and drones in the future to enhance usability and adaptability.”