SK Telecom will be working with China Unicom on developing new services and applications for the Chinese operator’s upcoming W-CDMA network, according to a company executive.

Lee Suk-hwan, CEO of SK Telecom China Holding, said both companies have reached consensus [to cooperate on W-CMDA] and will soon start studying the details of partnership.

“We are still in a preliminary stage and cannot reveal too many details because Unicom still hasn’t received the 3G license,” Lee told telecomasia.net at PT ExpoComm China in Beijing. “We hope to have a stronger cooperation with Unicom on 3G, which could not only help increase Unicom’s competitiveness in the market but also strengthen our position in China.”

Lee said the partnership with Unicom is one of the three major focuses of SK Telecom’s strategy in China. The Korean operator will also continue its technical cooperation on TD-SCDMA with the Chinese government and Datang Mobile, and focus on the development of new applications and services for TD-SCDMA. The company will also explore opportunities in TD-LTE, Lee added.

Another focus is internet and content, which Lee said has a huge potential in China, especially in areas like telematic, e-commerce and payment, which are still in initial stages.

SK Telecom has invested over 1.1 trillion won ($777 million) since it entered the China market in 2006.

Source:telecomasia.net