Singtel has partnered Ericsson to trial both LTE Broadcast and Wi-Fi calling services, preparing to showcase the services during the 28th South East Asian (SEA) Games which will be held in Singapore from the 5th to the 16th of June 2015. The LTE Broadcast technology, says Singtel, will enable its subscribers to enjoy the live TV experience of watching the sporting events on their smart devices while enabling it to better manage network costs and efficiency. Based on Ericsson's Evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (eMBMS) solution, LTE Broadcast that makes the most efficient use of mobile frequency spectrum and network resources will enable a virtually unlimited number of mobile users in densely populated areas to simultaneously stream high quality live broadcast videos to their mobile devices. As a new technology, LTE Broadcast trials are being conducted by a number of Operators - read more AT&T's LTE Broadcast Demo, Ericsson - Polkomtel LTE Broadcast Trial and Huawei - Vodafone Germany Live Broadcasting Using eLTE and eMBMS.
As for Wi-Fi calling, said Singtel, the introduction of the service will see its subscribers making and receiving calls using their home Wi-Fi or public Wi-Fi areas, extending the coverage of Singtel’s mobile services.
The trial of both technologies will also include seamless call handover between LTE and Wi-Fi networks and faster call set-up times, added the Operator.
Tay Soo Meng, Singtel's Group Chief Technology Officer
We are committed to enriching the lives of our customers by transforming the mobile-broadband user experience and providing superior video and voice services. Our customers will soon enjoy high quality video content with LTE Broadcast, and seamless voice service continuity between local Wi-Fi access points and the 4G network. The trial of this new technology in Singapore will also serve as a valuable pilot for future deployment in other markets that we operate in. LTE Broadcast would be fantastic in a market such as Australia, where live sports broadcast is extremely popular.
Nicholas Seow, Head of Ericsson Singapore and Brunei
Ericsson’s LTE Broadcast technology addresses the growing demand for high quality video content on mobile devices. Wi-Fi calling allows operators to benefit from cost-efficient deployment of extended voice coverage and fast time-to-market. The two trials reflect Ericsson’s technology leadership in the LTE domain, and give a glimpse of what the Networked Society can offer people, business and society.
