[FOCUS]Samsung succeeds in its 4G debut

Samsung Electronics Co. successfully demonstrated its self-developed fourth-generation communications platform yesterday for the first time. It was a world first. At the two-day Samsung 4G Forum that kicked off yesterday on Jeju island, Lee Ki-tae, president of the world’s third-largest mobile handset maker, said the up-and-coming mobile technology will be applied to cell phones by late 2008. The platform, an upgraded version of existing wireless communications technologies such as WiBro, or wireless Internet, will guarantee faster and more seamless transmission of data and other multimedia content. With the service, users will be able to download and upload data at speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second, when they are stationary. Transmission speed of 1 gigabit per second means downloading 100 MP3 music files in 2.4 seconds, and a movie file, in just 5.6 seconds. Mr. Lee said the company will put top priority on commercializing the 4G platform following 3.5-generation WiBro, which was released on the market this year. Regarding the widening sales gap with rivals such as Nokia of Finland (150 million units in the first half) and Motorola of the United States (98 million units during the same period), he stressed Samsung’s marketing strategy will retain “premium brand image.” “If we drag down handset prices right away, it will directly lead to more sales. “But we consider our existing premium brand image more valuable,” Mr. Lee said. “About 950 million units of mobile handsets are forecast to sell this year worldwide and Samsung targets 115 million units,” he said. Given that it has posted 9.5 trillion won ($9.9 billion) from selling 550 billion units in the first six months of the year, meeting the sales goal won’t be difficult, according to Mr. Lee. by Seo Ji-eun