LIVE FROM GSMA MOBILE ASIA EXPO 2013: SK Telecom said that its LTE network is enabling it to offer “more advanced and reliable communications services than over-the-top (OTT) players”, while also stating that it is working with online service providers to efficiently manage traffic and prevent network overload.

In an interview with Mobile World Live, Alex Choi, EVP and Head of ICT R&D for the South Korean operator (pictured), said that through support for quality of service in mobile networks, its voice over LTE (VoLTE) service delivers “premium call quality, short call set-up time, and seamless switch to video call mode in the middle of a voice call”.

And he also said that the joyn.T service offers “diverse enriched communication features that sets itself apart from mobile instant messaging services provided by OTT players”.

Choi said that SKT has developed its Smart Push technology to control signalling traffic and, working with OTT players, has applied this to popular services including Kakao Talk, MeToday and NateOn.

And the operator is working on mobile content delivery network technologies – for example traffic management, video optimisation and edge caching – to better support multimedia traffic from services such as YouTube and Netflix.

The executive also sees operators gaining the upper hand over rivals with the introduction of LTE-Advanced technology, which will “boost the creation and provision of new and innovative services, such as ultra high definition video services and content delivery”.

“Moreover, the growth of enterprise business solutions in areas like cloud, healthcare and education will be accelerated. Hence, mobile operators who evolve their networks to LTE-A ahead of others will enjoy competitive advantages from not only the strengthened network quality but also the increased service competitiveness,” he said.

As of May 2013, the operator’s LTE subscriber base had passed 10 million, making up more than 37 per cent of its subscriber base. “Considering that most new subscribers choose LTE, the proportion of the LTE subscriber base will keep growing in the months ahead. Such figures prove that LTE has become a mass-market service”, Choi said.