Korea Telecom Relies on Rohde & Schwarz T&M Equipment for LTE Start in Seoul

MUNICH, October 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

- Korea Telecom plans to start its first commercial LTE network in Seoul in November 2011. Rohde & Schwarz will supply the necessary test and measurement equipment.

The schedule is ambitious: Korea Telecom wants to provide nationwide LTE coverage by 2013. The South Korean network operator is relying on the scalable R&S TS8980 RF test system and the R&S CMW500 wideband radio communication tester from Rohde & Schwarz to ensure the smooth rollout of fourth-generation mobile radio. The two companies have therefore decided on a long-term LTE cooperation.

Korea Telecom uses the R&S TS8980 in the test lab to perform transmitter and receiver tests on LTE-capable user equipment. The system also supports radio resource management (RRM) tests, which aim at utilizing radio resources more efficiently. Existing LTE resources are only made available when users actually require them. Resources must frequently be reallocated because bandwidth utilization varies heavily.

Korea Telecom uses the R&S CMW500 wideband radio communication tester for RF and protocol tests on LTE user equipment. These measurements are made in the signaling mode. In signaling tests, the devices under test (DUTs) are examined in the future network under near-real conditions. Especially when introducing new technologies such as LTE, this procedure helps to avoid risks. The R&S CMW500 also supports the measurements required for smooth handover between the LTE infrastructure and the existing WCDMA infrastructure.

Rohde & Schwarz and Korea Telecom have been partners for years. Korea Telecom deploys Rohde & Schwarz test and measurement equipment in its WCDMA networks. The Munich company has already written interoperability tests (IOT) for the South Korean network operator. Dietmar Vahldiek, Head of Systems and Projects in the Rohde & Schwarz T&M Division, is pleased about the closer collaboration: "South Korea is an important market for Rohde & Schwarz. Bandwidth-intensive multimedia applications are spreading rapidly - there is no way around LTE. We are delighted that one of our key customers is again relying on our solutions to implement this new technology."

Press contacts:
Europe (headquarters): Monika Roth, Phone: +49-89-4129-12232,
E-mail: press@rohde-schwarz.com
North America: Chris Petrole, Phone: +1-410-910-7836, E-mail: chris.petrole@rsa.rohde-schwarz.com