WiBro Network Expansion Offers Affordable Connectivity

WiBro network expansion is making connectivity more affordable for people in South Korea. This is a significant development for the country's technology infrastructure.

The expanded WiBro network offers speeds of up to 6.77 Mbps, which is fast enough for online gaming and video streaming.

WiBro's increased accessibility is also making it a popular choice for mobile internet users.

Related reading: Samsung Galaxy S II WiMAX

WiBro was first deployed in South Korea in February 2002, when the Korean government allocated 100 MHz of electromagnetic spectrum in the 2.3–2.4 GHz band.

Two South Korean telecom companies, KT and SKT, launched commercial WiBro service in June 2006, with monthly fees equivalent to around 30 United States dollars.

In 2005, Intel and Samsung Electronics executives agreed to ensure compatibility between WiBro and Mobile WiMAX technology, paving the way for wider deployment.

KT Corporation, SK Telecom, and Hanaro Telecom were selected as WiBro operators in January 2005, with KT Corporation launching commercial WiBro service in June 2006.

For another approach, see: Network Service Provider

Here's a brief timeline of WiBro's deployment:

By 2012, olleh's WiBro coverage had expanded nationwide, covering 88% of the South Korean population.

In February 2002, the Korean government allocated 100 MHz of electromagnetic spectrum in the 2.3-2.4 GHz band, paving the way for the deployment of WiBro technology.

Intel and Samsung Electronics executives agreed to ensure compatibility between WiBro and Mobile WiMAX technology in November 2004.

KT Corporation, SK Telecom, and Hanaro Telecom were selected as WiBro operators in January 2005, but Hanaro Telecom cancelled its plan for WiBro and returned its licence in April 2005.

Samsung Electronics signed a deal with Sprint Nextel Corporation to provide equipment for a WiBro trial in September 2005.

KT Corporation showed off WiBro trial services during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Busan in November 2005.

Telecom Italia, the dominant telephony and internet service provider in Italy, demonstrated a WiBro network service on the occasion of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, with downlink speed of 10 Mbit/s and uplink speed of some hundreds of kbit/s even in movement up to 120 km/h.

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KT Corporation and SK Telecom launched WiBro around Seoul on June 30, 2006.

KT Corporation launched WiBro coverage for all areas of Seoul, including all subway lines, on April 3, 2007.

KT's mobile network SHOW and home network QOOK merged in January 2011, and since then, KT has been changed to olleh.

Here is a list of WiBro operators and their launch dates:

In December 2005, Samsung presented its WiBro-enabled phones, the TDA SPH-H1000 and SPH-M8000, at the second ComBCon international exhibition and conference.

These phones were part of Korea's push for WiBro technology, which is essentially the Asian equivalent of WiMax.

WiBro implements the IEEE 802.16e standard, similar to WiMax, but with a focus on signal reliability rather than speed and coverage.

WiBro can achieve speeds of up to 1 Megabit/s even when the user is moving at 60 km/h.

However, achieving this speed comes at the cost of reduced coverage, limited to less than 1 kilometer in radius.

Korea's extensive WiFi coverage throughout the country made this trade-off acceptable, allowing the country to prioritize signal continuity and stability over range.

This makes WiBro an ideal technology for mobile devices, such as Samsung's M8000 phone or potential console applications like the IRiver.

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WiBro technology offers an aggregate data throughput of 30 to 50 Mbit/s per carrier, allowing for portable internet usage and mobility for moving devices up to 120 kilometres per hour.

WiBro base stations cover a radius of 1–5 kilometres, which is significantly smaller than Wi-Fi's coverage area. This is because Wi-Fi's mobility is limited to walking speed.

WiBro was devised to overcome the data rate limitation of mobile phones and provide mobile broadband Internet access comparable to ADSL or Wi-Fi. It achieves this by using a channel bandwidth of 8.75 MHz (10 MHz in later revisions).

WiBro's theoretical maximum download speed is 128 Mbit/s, and its theoretical maximum upload speed is 56 Mbit/s.

Additional reading: Mobile Data Offloading

WiBro services were offered by several providers, including KT and SK Telecom in Korea. KT offered Wave 2 WiBro service for ₩10,000 per month with 10 GB data usage.

KT also offered a more expensive plan for ₩40,000 per month with 50 GB data usage, plus free access to their own WiFi hotspots. SK Telecom offered a similar Wave 2 WiBro service for $18.87 per month with 30 GB data usage.

In India, Tikona Digital Networks offered WiBro service up to 2 Mbit/s and 4 Mbit/s in many cities. The 2 Mbit/s unlimited monthly plan cost 999 Indian rupees, roughly $21.

Broaden your view: Data Cap

In Korea, WiBro service was offered by KT for 10,000 South Korean won per month with 10 GB data usage.

KT's Wave 2 WiBro service provided speeds of 18.4 Mbit/s for the downlink and 4 Mbit/s for the uplink.

The service coverage was advertised as nationwide, but actual coverage was restricted to urban areas, some railroad stations, airports, and major highways.

SK Telecom also offered Wave 2 WiBro Service for US$18.87 a month with 30 GB data usage.

In India, Tikona Digital Networks offered WiBro service with speeds of up to 2 Mbit/s and 4 Mbit/s in many cities.

The 2 Mbit/s unlimited monthly plan cost 999 Indian rupees, which is roughly US$21.

KT will end its WiBro services by March next year, starting with Seoul on December 16. This means consumers will need to switch to LTE to continue using their handsets.

Consumers still using WiBro will not be charged for their use after December 16. However, they will need to change to LTE starting next month if they want to keep using their handsets.

SK Telecom will also stop offering WiBro services by the end of the year. The company will provide LTE transfer programs for users to help them make the switch.

The ending of WiBro services will allow both carriers to focus on 5G deployment.

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WiBro expanded to major cities in South Korea after its official opening in 2006.

KT covered all 80+ cities by January 2013, making WiBro accessible to a wide range of people.

SK covered Seoul and a few other major cities, but its coverage was limited compared to KT's extensive network.

WiBro devices were first introduced by Samsung in December 2005 with the SPH-H1000 and SPH-M8000 mobile phones.

These early WiBro devices were designed to provide a reliable and stable connection, even when in motion. They implemented the IEEE 802.16e standard, just like WiMax, but with a focus on signal reliability over speed and coverage.

Some examples of WiBro-enabled devices include mobile phones like the HTC Evo 4G+ and the Samsung Show WiBro Omnia (SCH-M830), as well as mobile hotspots and USB modems from various manufacturers.

Here are some examples of WiBro-enabled devices:

KT and SKT finally launched commercial WiBro services in June 2006, ushering in the era of WiBro.

ETRI successfully commercialized WiBro for the first time in the world, following its world’s first commercialization of CDMA a decade previously.

In 2007, WiBro was approved as an international standard after just one year of commercialization, a remarkable achievement that set it apart from traditional practices.

ETRI employed a strategy to expedite the adoption of WiBro as an international standard by developing both specifications and systems simultaneously.

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WiBro's processing power is impressive, with an aggregated data processing rate of 30 to 50 Mbps/s. This is a significant boost over traditional LANs, which are limited by a person's walking speed.

WiBro has a coverage radius of 1.5 km, making it a great option for mobile devices. This is particularly useful for high-speed travel, where speeds of up to 120 km/h are supported.

The technology also offers mobility for services, allowing users to access WiBro on the go. This is a major advantage over Wimax, which doesn't offer the same level of mobility.