Nokia and SKT Conduct Trial of LTE-Based Video and Voice Applications to Enhance Public Safety
in South Korea

• Trial of advanced technologies in Pyeongchang, Jeongsun and Gangneung to enable first responders to communicate using video, data and voice
• Nokia public safety LTE network interworking in a multi-vendor environment to support public safety needs and ensure network availability at all times
• Nokia's ViTrust public safety LTE radio access and Cloud Packet Core solutions with local third-party user equipment and enhanced Multimedia Broadcast Multicast technology

Nokia and SK Telecom (SKT) are conducting a major trial of LTE public safety technologies in South Korea to establish the application of first responders in sharing mission-critical voice, video and other data simultaneously in real-time with multiple members of first response teams.

Nokia has deployed its ViTrust public safety solution - which includes LTE radio access, Cloud Packet Core and other commercially available technologies in the network trial in the Pyeongchang, Jeongsun and Gangneung areas of South Korea. The trial is being conducted with first responder teams to enhance communications and response time in emergency situations.

Working with local vendors to deliver services for the trial, Nokia is deploying its Mission-Critical push-to-talk (MCPTT) technology to allow a single user to simultaneously connect with multiple first response personnel on a network. Using enhanced Multimedia Broadcast Multicast technology, HD-video and other data can be transmitted efficiently to all devices even in high-traffic situations, to give all first responders a clear and complete view of an emergency and its needs.

The trial involves one of the world's first public safety networks to interwork with SKT's existing evolved packet core system. This interworking will ensure network reliability, coverage and availability ensuring public safety workers can communicate at all times.

Sang-soo Shim, Senior Vice President of Infra Business at SK Telecom, said: "We are pleased to be leading the way with this important Public Safety LTE trial. Working with Nokia we have been able to ensure fast deployment of technologies and enable the delivery of services that will transform the way public safety workers operate."

Andrew Cope, head of Korea at Nokia, said: "This trial with SKT is a breakthrough for Nokia in the South Korean market. Using our innovative ViTrust public safety LTE solutions and field proven Nokia Cloud Packet Core solution we could rapidly deploy the network, to interwork with SKT's existing network and evolved packet core."

Source: Nokia media announcement