Hanaro and SKT test convergence network

SK Telecom Corp. and Hanaro Telecom Inc. began testing a next-generation Internet infrastructure called the broadband convergence network (BcN) yesterday. The trial operation of the massive Internet-protocol that will allow people to access the network from a wide range of terminals from nearly everywhere was held for the second time in Korea. A consortium headed by the country’s third-largest fixed-line telecom operator, Dacom, ran a pilot of the revolutionary network in July. A consortium of SK and Hanaro called “Ubinet” and the Ministry of Information and Communication held a ceremony yesterday to showcase the new network at an apartment in Bundang, south of Seoul. According to the information ministry, it will expand trial services for high-definition video phones and other services to 600 households in Seoul, its metropolitan area and large cities such as Busan and Daejeon. The technology, with connection speeds between 50 mbps to 100 mbps, 50 times faster than the current norm, ensures top-class security for quality streaming of broadband multimedia services, embodying the convergence of fixed-line and wireless networks. For instance, mobile phones are connected with wireless mobile communication networks outside, while the connection is automatically switched to wired networks at home. In addition, BcN is expected to enable a host of futuristic features like voice over Internet protocol, T-commerce, IP-TV and video on demand. The trial is part of the government’s ambitious efforts to link 10 million homes with ultrafast broadband networks by 2007. The consortium includes 25 local partners including Samsung Electronics Co., the world’s No. 3 mobile phone maker, and Skylife Co., the nation’s sole satellite-based digital TV broadcaster. SK Telecom is the nation’s No. 1 mobile phone operator with more than 19 million subscribers, and Hanaro Telecom is the second largest fixed-line broadband Internet company with more than 4 million subscribers. by Lee Hee-sung, Seo Ji-eun