SK Telecom and Rohde & Schwarz join hands to develop next-generation antenna technologies

SK Telecom and Rohde & Schwarz join hands to develop next-generation antenna technologies Munich and Seoul, Aug 23, 2013 - SK Telecom and Rohde & Schwarz plan to build a test bed for active antenna systems (AAS), a smart antenna system developed as part of SK Telecom's strategy to promote a concept known as SUPER Cell. The aim is to create a stable mobile environment that allows customers to experience faster speeds by enhancing traffic management efficiency through smart antenna systems.

SK Telecom (NYSE: SKM), Korea's largest telecommunications company, and Rohde & Schwarz announced on Tuesday that they have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on joint research and development of next-generation antenna technologies.

Under the MOU, SK Telecom and Rohde & Schwarz will work together to create a test bed for AAS, a core technology in next-generation antenna systems, for performance verification. Under this agreement, the two companies will also conduct research and development for next-generation antenna system equipment. Rohde & Schwarz will provide SK Telecom with signal generators (R&S SMW200A, R&S SGS100A) and a radio network analyzer (R&S TSMW).

As part of an initiative by SK Telecom to enhance the performance of its LTE Advanced/LTE network, the company has currently been focusing on promoting network evolution through small cell technologies. In particular, it has suggested a differentiated technology concept called SUPER Cell to expand network capacity and improve data quality.

Moreover, in line with its SUPER Cell concept, SK Telecom has been focusing on research and development of next-generation antenna systems since 2011 to dramatically improve data speeds. In particular, AAS is a comprehensive antenna technology that can be applied to all types of networks, including LTE-Advanced. It is also capable of increasing the number of radio channels between a base station and handset by several to tens of times.

AAS will allow customers to experience high-quality service even in areas of high data traffic, since the antenna can coordinate the amount of radio signals to be sent from the base station.

We are pleased to join hands with SK Telecom, the world's top LTE service provider, to research and develop next-generation antenna technologies, said Christian Leicher, President and COO of Rohde & Schwarz. We hope that our joint efforts will serve as a basis for developing the most innovative network technologies that will drive further evolution of telecommunications network.

Joint research and development between SK Telecom, a mobile operator, and Rohde & Schwarz, a manufacturer of T&M equipment for communications networks, will generate synergies in the development of next-generation network technologies. And with these technologies, we will continue to provide our customers with high-quality services, said Choi Jin-sung, Head of the ICT R&D Division at SK Telecom.

Rohde & SchwarzRohde & Schwarz is an independent group of companies specializing in electronics. It is a leading supplier of solutions in the fields of test and measurement, broadcasting, radiomonitoring and radiolocation as well as secure communications. Established almost 80 years ago, Rohde & Schwarz has a global presence and a dedicated service network in over 70 countries. It has approx. 8700 employees and achieved a net revenue of 1.8 billion (USD 2.3 billion) in fiscal year 2011/2012 (July 2011 to June 2012). Company headquarters are in Munich, Germany.

R&S is a registered trademark of Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG

SK Telecom

SK Telecom (NYSE: SKM, KSE: 017670), established in 1984, is Korea's largest telecommunications company with more than 27 million mobile subscribers, accounting for over 50% of the market. The company reached KRW 16.301 trillion in revenue in 2012. 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. Backed by rapid nationwide deployment, a rich device lineup and diverse mobile value added services, the company secured over 11 million LTE subscribers as of June 2013. SK Telecom also became the world's first mobile carrier to launch LTE-Advanced on June 26, 2013, by applying core LTE technologies including Carrier Aggregation and Coordinated Multi Point. Also, based on its strength in network operations business, SK Telecom is seeking new growth engines by building ICT convergence business models in areas of healthcare, enterprise solutions, media and education. For more information, please visit www.sktelecom.com or email to press@sktelecom.com

LINK:	http://www.rohde-schwarz.co.uk/en/News_Events/Press_Releases/press-SK_...
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