While EE markets 60 Mbps as “superfast” for mobile broadband in the UK — which is competitive locally — SK Telecom in South Korea has responded with a far faster offering: a 225 Mbps service, three times quicker than its previous speeds.
This development comes once again through collaboration with Nokia Siemens Networks. Last week we reported on an experimental demonstration by SK Telecom and NSN delivering an astonishing 3.78 Gbps LTE connection by combining TDD and FDD spectrums. Prior tests had already reached 450 Mbps, so these incremental advances continue to push the boundaries of mobile capacity.
To be fair to UK operators, SK Telecom is using LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), a technology currently under testing by several providers including EE. EE has even launched a limited LTE-A service in London capable of delivering up to 300 Mbps to compatible devices.
EE’s CEO Olaf Swantee has described why higher mobile data speeds matter: expanding network bandwidth enables new workflows for broadcasters, where a handful of 4G SIMs can replace costly satellite trucks and satellite links. He also noted that 4K video dramatically increases bandwidth needs — while BBC iPlayer streams at about 5 Mbps, 4K content can require around 20 Mbps — so consistently high average throughput and sufficient network capacity are essential.
At present there are no commercially available smartphones in the UK that natively support LTE-A, so access to EE’s enhanced network often relies on ancillary devices such as the Huawei E5786 MiFi, revealed at MWC earlier this year. In Korea, the first LTE-A–compatible handset will be an upgraded Samsung Galaxy S5 shipping with a Snapdragon 805 processor. LG and Pantech have also announced plans to release LTE-A devices by early July.
Industry analysts predict that SK Telecom’s new speeds will soon be eclipsed through the adoption of tri-band and quad-band carrier aggregation technologies. South Korean carriers have already pledged to deliver speeds exceeding 300 Mbps to customers before the end of the year, indicating continued rapid advancement in commercial network performance.
Should operators invest more heavily in LTE-A? Share your thoughts in the comments.