(Image Credit: iStockPhoto/Easyturn)
SK Telecom, in collaboration with Samsung, has launched the world’s first nationwide LoRaWAN network for the Internet of Things (IoT), providing broad low-power, long-range connectivity across the entire country.
SK Telecom and Samsung have a history of joint innovations; most notably, they previously demonstrated a 7.5 Gbps “5G” link. This latest effort targets the unique connectivity needs of IoT devices at scale.
“SK Telecom is proud to announce the nationwide deployment of LoRaWAN as it marks the first important step towards realizing connectivity between an infinite number of things, going beyond the traditional role of telecommunications centered on connectivity between people,” said Lee Hyung-hee, President of Mobile Network Business at SK Telecom. “Going forward, SK Telecom will develop and offer a wide variety of IoT services designed to provide new value for customers, while working closely with partners including SMEs and startups to invigorate the IoT ecosystem.”
LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) is designed for low-power devices while offering much greater range than many alternative wireless technologies. That combination makes LoRaWAN especially well suited for IoT applications, where numerous battery-powered sensors and devices need reliable, infrequent data transfers rather than continuous high-bandwidth connections.
This national deployment follows earlier, smaller-scale LoRaWAN rollouts such as a citywide network launched in Amsterdam. SK Telecom completed the nationwide build six months ahead of schedule and now reports coverage of approximately 99% of the population. With the network in place, the company is prioritizing IoT services in metering, tracking and monitoring.
SK Telecom’s initial commercial plans include support for Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) to help utilities accurately measure and monitor consumption and remotely manage meters. The company has been piloting AMI with SK E&S since November 2015 and intends to expand the service to additional regions in July 2016.
In tracking, SK Telecom is developing services to locate and monitor vehicles, people and assets. Working with local governments, the company plans to introduce “Safe Watch,” a wearable device aimed at improving the safety of children and the elderly, in July 2016.
For monitoring, SK Telecom will provide solutions that control and manage equipment in manufacturing, public and commercial facilities. These services are intended to keep production equipment operating optimally and maintain safe working and environmental conditions across large-scale operations.
SK Telecom expects to launch a total of 20 LoRa-based IoT services by the end of 2016, including a manhole monitoring service in September and a real-time shared parking service in October. To encourage development of new LoRa applications, the company began offering LoRa modules free of charge starting July 1, 2016, lowering barriers for developers and startups to bring services to market.
Below are the initial pricing plans for SK Telecom’s LoRaWAN IoT service (monthly fees exclude VAT):
| Price Plan | Data Allowance* (communication frequency) | Monthly Flat Rate (VAT Excluded) | Examples of Services | Notes |
| BandIoT35 | 100 KB | KRW 350 | Metering and monitoring services (e.g., AMI, environmental monitoring, water leakage detection) | Discounts for long-term contracts (5% for 2 years up to 20% for 5 years). Multi-line discounts: 2% for 500 lines up to 10% for 10,000 lines. |
| BandIoT50 | 500 KB | KRW 500 | ||
| BandIoT70 | 3 MB | KRW 700 | Tracking services (locating people/things, asset management) | |
| BandIoT100 | 10 MB | KRW 1,000 | ||
| Band IoT150 | 50 MB | KRW 1,500 | Control services (e.g., safety management, lighting control, shared parking) | |
| BandIoT200 | 100 MB | KRW 2,000 |
*Data usage above the included allowance is charged at KRW 0.005 per 0.5 KB.
By providing a nationwide low-power, long-range network and competitive pricing tiers, SK Telecom aims to accelerate IoT adoption across utilities, public services, logistics, healthcare and smart city applications. The combination of near-universal coverage and targeted service packages positions the operator to support large-scale deployments of battery-powered sensors and devices while enabling new value-added services from partners and developers.
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