SK Telecom Expands its LTE Auto Roaming Service

Press-release SK Telecom, 28.03.2013, via LTE Depot.

• Scheduled to launch LTE auto roaming service in the Philippines on 1 April 2013 under partnership with Globe
• Aims to expand LTE roaming service throughout the world after launching LTE devices that function in four different frequency bands in the second quarter of 2013

SK Telecom (NYSE:SKM) today announced that it, together with Globe Telecom, a telecommunications company in the Philippines, will begin offering LTE auto roaming service on 1 April 2013. This follows the company's previous LTE roaming service launches in Hong Kong (1 June 2012) and Singapore (1 March 2013) under partnership with CSL and SingTel, respectively.

The commercialization of LTE auto roaming service with Globe (the Philippines) and SingTel (Singapore) follows a consensus among members of the Bridge Alliance (BA) that LTE data roaming takes an important role in the future direction of next-generation roaming services, thus calling for strategic partnerships between carriers around the world. With successful LTE roaming service launches under cooperation with CSL, SingTel and Globe, SK Telecom is strongly positioning itself as the center of cooperation in the Asia Pacific region.

Moreover, SK Telecom plans to launch LTE devices that can function in four different frequency bands – i.e. 850MHz, 1.8GHz, 2.1GHz and 2.6GHz - within the second quarter of this year. These devices carry a great meaning as they mark the first Korean LTE device that can operate in 2.6GHz band, which is chosen by most mobile carriers across the world for LTE service. With these devices, customers will be able to enjoy LTE service in other countries just like they do in Korea.

Kim Young-Sup, Senior Vice President and Head of Collaboration Marketing Office at SK Telecom said, "As the first company in the world to commercialize LTE roaming, SK Telecom is committed to enhancing customer experience through seamless global LTE auto roaming. Going forward, SK Telecom will expand its strategic partnerships with mobile carriers across the globe, while also focusing on enriching the line-up of devices that function in multiple frequency bands."

Mobily Launches Region-First LTE Data Roaming

CSL (Hong Kong, China) signed another LTE roaming agreement, that time with the Saudi Arabia operator Mobily (Etihad Etisalat). Interconnection supported by Telstra (Australia). //klektek.com

Smart explores LTE roaming partnerships with Asian telcos

Wireless services provider Smart Communications, Inc. is in talks with several Asian telecommunications companies to allow Smart subscribers abroad to surf the Internet via Long Term Evolution (LTE).

Discussions are currently ongoing between Smart and Japan’s NTT Docomo, Hong Kong’s Hutchison Telecommunications, South Korea’s KT Corp., and Singapore’s StarHub.  //manilastandardtoday.com 

Telstra Global Taps Tekelec for new LTE services

Telstra Global is offering LTE roaming services across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region using Tekelec's Diameter Signaling Router (DSR). Tekelec's market-leading DSR is providing the diameter signaling hub for Telstra Global's IPX service announced last month. It enables the secure exchange of authorization, authentication, billing, charging and network policies that use the diameter protocol to maintain subscribers' LTE services while visiting international markets.

"Operators are examining how to maximize the benefits that LTE networks provide, and international roaming is the first step," said Tejaswini Tilak, Global Head of Carrier Services at Telstra Global. "Tekelec is a leader in this space, with the scalability, security and vision for us to support the region's LTE requirements and capitalize on increased international mobility and exploding mobile data consumption."

Telstra Global IPX Service offers a platform that enables mobile operators to introduce new services and applications, to take advantage of ever more popular capabilities such as mobile gaming and video streaming with superior end user experience. It is provided over Telstra Global's scalable and managed IP MPLS core network which maximizes traffic on both legacy and new mobile platforms, allowing Telstra Global to partner with mobile operators that have already embarked on or are heading towards their LTE journey.

//the-press-news.com

LTE Roaming soon became the hit of the season

The Service Provider Information Technology company, Syniverse Technologies Inc. (NYSE: SVR) believes that interoperability and roaming challenges associated with Long Term Evolution (LTE) will be its key focus areas in the coming two to three years.
LTE will lead to many more roaming agreements between operators than what they have done in 3G or 2G.
Syniverse's competitor in roaming services, Roamware Inc. believes that LTE roaming opportunity in India is as big as US$50 million to $60 million (INR 2.7 billion to INR 3.3 billion) in the next two-to-three years. \\lightreading.in

MetroPCS may sign for LTE roaming before the 2012 end

MetroPCS, the fifth-largest carrier in the U.S., has one little problem: while it will finally have filled out 97 percent of its 14 metro areas with LTE by October, its 14 metro areas don't include everyone. So it's looking for roaming partners.

So when will we see MetroPCS phones roaming the nation on LTE? There's a good chance it'll happen before the end of next year, Ed Chao, MetroPCS said.

//pcmag.com

China Mobile and Clearwire signed for TD-LTE international roaming

China  Mobile and Clearwire signed MoU "that lays the foundation for international roaming between China and the US using TD-LTE" /marketwatch.com 

This agreement can serve as a blueprint for future roaming agreements with other members of the Global TD-LTE Initiative (GTI).

China Mobile already demonstrated the roaming capability between China Mobile Hong Kong's FDD LTE and China Mobile's TD-LTE pilot network in Hang Zhou.

China Mobile still has no license from the China's regulator. Clearwire is constracting LTE network in USA.