“Global Block”

The 3GSM World Congress 2007, the largest telecommunications event of its kind, displays the global trend of telecommunications befitting of its reputation. It also features major industrial trends: “Alliance” between service providers, the ongoing popularity of slim phones, and the emergence of “specialty phones.”

The most striking aspect of this exhibition is that telecom service providers strengthen their “Alliance” just like the aviation industry. At the exhibition hall, existing alliances are competing to increase their power and new service-driven partnerships have been launched.

SK Telecom applied for BMA (Bridge Mobile Alliance), a group comprised of major Asian mobile service providers, on February 12 (local time). BMA consists of 10 Asian telecommunications companies including Singtel (Singapore), Maxis (Malaysia), Bharti (India), Telkomsel (Indonesia), and CTM (Macao).

Freemove, a European alliance, is also consulting with companies to expand its partnership to The Netherlands, Austria, Hungary, and Czech Republic.

For the first time, a service partnership has been built into a mobile payment system.

On February 13, 14 providers including Korean Telecom Freetel (KTF) announced a “mobile payment” project, which replaces credit cards with a mobile phone all over the world. The project involves major telecom companies such as KTF, Cingular, and NTT DoCoMo. KTF will launch a mobile payment service within this year in Korea.

The purpose of expanding the alliance is to reduce their investment costs and increase synergy effects. 3G telecommunications, whose key service is automatic roaming, has more service coverage when it has many affiliates. Also, companies can buy handsets and network equipments at lower cost since they buy collectively.

3GSM also features state-of-the-art technologies in mobile phones.

Apparently, the ongoing trend of slimness continues this year. Samsung Electronics presents four kinds of “Ultra Edition Ⅱ” including the world’s thinnest 5.9mm-thick phone. Motorola’s RAZR is also a popular slim phone, which becomes sleek along the face when you slide up the bar.

Newcomers are “specialty phones,” which focus on particular functions such as e-mail and video. Among the most popular products are business specialty phones, which are easy to send e-mails, and multimedia ones equipped with music and video functions.

Sony Ericsson unveils MP3 Player walkman series, which allow users to enjoy music by simply touching a separate “W” button.

Nokia presents N77, a mobile TV phone, allowing users to watch TV wherever they are.

When it stands on the side with stereo speakers, the N77 appears as a TV set.

Metal is dominant in handset materials. The most metallic one is LG Electronics’ Shine phone. Samsung Electronics, Nokia and Sony Ericsson both introduced metallic phones.

At LG Electronics’ press briefing in the press center, LG Electronics mobile communications division executive vice president Ahn Seung-kwon said, “Following last year’s success, we will provide 78 million phones globally centering on the Shine and Prada phones.”

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