During 1999, SK Telecom, the world's largest CDMA operator and Nokia started a joint activity to develop planning and optimization for IMT-2000. The target of this work is to develop methods to efficiently implement high quality multimedia 3G networks and to ensure that the IMT-2000 Radio Access Network features support these methods. This activity is carried out by a joint team consisting of experts from SK Telecom and Nokia and draws from the wide body of experience the parties have in 2G networks and the research in IMT-2000.
The first major milestone of the project has been achieved, defining extensive planning guidelines for 3rd Generation IMT-2000 networks including coverage design, radio resource management, handover parameter planning and other critical planning and optimization procedures.
Several hundred of Nokia's 3G planning and optimisation experts will be trained jointly by the two companies, well in time for the building of the 3G networks that commences early next year. The planning and optimisation guidelines to be developed will include such critical tasks as coverage design, radio resource management, handover parameter planning.
"This joint activity will place SK Telecom and Nokia as leading companies for 3rd Generation multimedia network deployment." says Dr. J.T. Bergqvist, Senior Vice President, Radio Access Systems, Nokia Networks. "We anticipate that transforming the existing know-how of SK Telecom in deployment and operating 2G CDMA networks and Nokia's development of 3rd Generation technology since the early 1990s, will create unique planning capabilities for high capacity WCDMA networks"
"We are now seeing the substantial and impressive result of this joint work," notes Dr. Moonsoo Pyo, Senior Executive Vice President, SK Telecom. "Through this joint effort, both Nokia and SK Telecom will be poised to strengthen their competitiveness in their respective fields in IMT-2000"
Headquartered in Seoul, SK Telecom operates the world's largest CDMA network with more than 12.8 million subscriber base that includes 12 million cellular subscribers and 0.8 million paging subscribers in the Republic of Korea. The company was established in 1984 as Korea's first mobile telecommunication company. Since 1994, SK Group, Korea's fourth largest multinational conglomerate, has participated in the company's management as major shareholder. The company provides a broad range of telecommunications services including nationwide cellular, paging, multimedia on-line services. Through its subsidiaries, the company has diversified into international voice reselling and mobile phone manufacturing. In 1999, the year-end revenue totaled USD 3.7 billion and the company is listed on Korea Stock Exchange, London Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange.
Nokia is paving the way to the mobile information society with its innovative products and solutions. The company is the leading mobile phone supplier and a leading supplier of mobile, fixed and IP networks, related services as well as multimedia terminals. In 1999, Nokia's net sales totaled EUR 19.8 billion (USD 19.9 billion). Headquartered in Finland, Nokia is listed on the New York (NOK), Helsinki, Stockholm, London, Frankfurt and Paris stock exchanges and employs more than 56 000 people.
Further information:
Communications Department, Nokia Networks
Tel. + 358 9 5113 8195, Fax + 358 9 5113 8199
Email nokia.networks@nokia.com
www.nokia.com
Man-Soo Cho, Assistant Manager,
Public Relations Office, SK Telecom
Tel: +82 2 2121 4721
Fax: +82 2 2121 3963
E-mail: chaos71@netsgo.com