“SDN is one of the key technologies for next generation network innovation and cloudification. Through the development of an SDN-enabled Evolved Packet Core solution, we plan to provide differentiated data service experiences to end users,” said Jin-hyo Park, Senior Vice President & Head of Network Technology Center at SK Telecom.

The goal of the PoC, which will undergo testing in October 2015, is to determine the feasibility of separating and independently managing user and control plane traffic in a realistic LTE core network environment. The solution, built on a platform of open-source software, will be tested for its ability to provide traffic management capabilities and determine optimized transportation paths based on types of subscribers and services, while minimizing undesired traffic load on core network infrastructure.

By leveraging this solution, operators will witness greatly improved efficiency in their transport network infrastructure, through reduction in unnecessary traffic, bottleneck prevention and maintenance of Quality of Service throughout the network. Not only will this positively impact the subscribers’ perception of network responsiveness, but it will also significantly reduce the total cost of operation for service providers as traffic demand continues to grow.

“Software-based technologies such as Network Function Virtualization (NFV) and SDN are key enablers for innovative services and efficient network operations,” said Dong-Soo Park, Executive Vice President and Head of R&D for Network Business at Samsung Electronics. He added that, “Samsung continues to look at how the latest industry technologies can benefit network operators and enable the next generation of innovative user services and applications”.

With Samsung’s 5G Vision <5G Vision White Paper>, mobile networks expect data throughputs to increase exponentially, while latency and operational costs decrease. In order to meet these expectations, Samsung is determined to identify key technologies that bring networks closer to its goals. The flexibility and powerful traffic management of SDN are an important step towards Samsung’s 5G network capabilities.

In February, 2015, Samsung announced that it had been selected by SK Telecom to provide its AdaptiV Core <Samsung’s Virtualized Core Solution Chosen to Support SK Telecom’s Nationwide IoT Network> platform to support the world’s first dedicated IoT network based on NFV. Samsung will leverage this experience to apply many of the same principles of virtualized, software-based infrastructure to the SDN proof of concept implementation in October, 2015.

About SK Telecom

SK Telecom (NYSE: SKM, KSE: 017670), established in 1984, is Korea’s largest telecommunications company with more than 28 million mobile subscribers, accounting for around 50% of the market. The company reached KRW 17.164 trillion in revenue in 2014. As the world’s first company to commercialize CDMA, CDMA 2000 1x, CDMA EV-DO and HSDPA networks, SK Telecom launched the nation’s first LTE service in July 2011. SK Telecom also became the world’s first mobile carrier to commercialize 150Mbps LTE-Advanced in June 2013 and 225Mbps LTE-Advanced in June 2014 through Carrier Aggregation(CA). In line with its efforts to swiftly move towards the next-generation mobile network system, or 5G, it successfully commercialized 300Mbps tri-band LTE-A CA. As of the end of March 2015, the company has over 17.4 million LTE and LTE-Advanced subscribers. Based on its strength in network operations business, SK Telecom is seeking new growth engines through three innovative platforms namely Lifestyle Enhancement Platform, Advanced Media Platform and IoT Service Platform. For more information, please visit www.sktelecom.com or email to press@sktelecom.com.

Remote monitoring programs help patients and providers effectively manage chronic conditions, enabling patients to track their health, securely share personal health data with their provider and become collaborative partners in their care. Remote monitoring data, including blood pressure, blood glucose and weight, gives healthcare providers a more complete picture of a patient’s condition in order to effectively assess their health status and provide just-in-time care. Mobile health tools also help to improve patient engagement, medication adherence and empower individuals to better self-manage their health and wellness.

“We are excited to have access to the vast capabilities of Samsung Electronics to help improve the way we deliver care to our patients. This joint development program has the potential to significantly propel mHealth and personal connected health forward,” said Kamal Jethwani, MD, MPH, Senior Director, Connected Health Innovation at Partners HealthCare. “This project represents the start of how smart technology, intelligent algorithms and world class clinical expertise can be combined to change the paradigm of care delivery.” Dr. Jethwani will lead this research initiative at Partners HealthCare, which will launch in a clinical trial in June.

“This unprecedented new partnership brings to bear the unique strengths of Samsung Electronics, the Partners Connected Health team and our leading healthcare providers, to expand the boundaries of digital health technology,” said Joseph C. Kvedar, MD, Vice President, Connected Health, Partners HealthCare. “Combining our real-world clinical experience and implementation of connected health solutions with their leading mobile and IT technology, we believe that, together, we can re-imagine the future of health and wellness and deliver innovative, convenient and powerful personal connected health tools.”

“This partnership will be an important step towards embracing the real needs of healthcare providers and patients. We aim to leverage our technology to help individuals lead healthier lives, while delivering healthcare providers the tools they need to improve clinical outcomes,” said Suntae Jung, Vice President, Samsung Electronics. “We look forward to collaborating with Partners HealthCare and Massachusetts General Hospital, and to the unlimited potential for mobile care technology.”

Samsung’s Digital Media and Communications R&D Center (DMC R&D), will oversee this program for the company.