SK Telecom to Test Maritime LTE with 100-Km Reach

SK Telecom plans to launch a test network for maritime communications using Long Term Evolution. Maritime networks normally are the province of satellite platforms, and the SK Telecom network will affect that reality only marginally: the test network works only to a distance of about 100 kilometers (60 miles) from shore.

LTE for Maritime Wireless Communications (LTE-M) network, as part of a research and development project led by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF).

The network actually is intended to enhance navigation safety for small ships that have relatively poor inbuilt communication and safety system, compared to large vessels.

SK Telecom plans to deploy the test network by May 2016 in the East Sea of Korea. Radio signals transmitted from a high-gain antenna located at high altitude in the eastern coast will be received by LTE-M router installed on a ship to be converted to Wi-Fi.