South Korea’s shipbuilding, petrochemical and steel manufacturers will continue to suffer from slow recovery due to a global supply excess and low demand in the second half(H1) of this year, according to a report released by KDB.

The report stressed local shipbuilding and display industry will show a high growth figure due to the base effect, but actual recovery will be insignificant. Mobile phones will continue to be strong but relocation of production sites to overseas will contract domestic production and export. Meanwhile, automobile and semiconductor sectors will perform well in both shipments and exports.

SKT to launch world’s first VoLTE service by September this year

South Korea’s leading mobile carrier SK Telecom (SKT) is set to launch the voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) service, which offers clearer voice quality, at the same rate as the service using the third-generation (3G) network.

The VoLTE service is a voice call service that utilizes fourth-generation(4G) LTE networks. LTE service subscribers have used mobile data services through the LTE network, but phone call services have been provided through 3G networks so far.

The VoLTE service boasts sound quality twice as clearer than the 3G services, and the service will deliver subscribers’ voices close to the original sound on the phones. SKT’s video phone calls will also offer superior definition, clearer by 12 times than those offered through 3G networks, and connection time for phone calls will be reduced by over 20 times (0.3 seconds minimum).

Charges for the HD Voice services are expected to be set at 1.8 won($0.0016) per second, which is the same rate as the charges applied to the 3G services.

“SKT plans to set charges for premium-class HD Voice services at the similar level to the current charges applied to the 3G services as an effort to introduce the services to more subscribers,” a high-ranking SKT official said.

The VoLTE service will be available with smartphones that have LTE functions. Samsung Electroncis’ Galaxy S3 LTE is compatible with the VoLTE service, and LG Electronics and Pantec will also launch VoLTE smartphones.

All three S. Korean mobile carriers will be offering VoLTE services to subscribers by the fourth quarter (Q4) this year. LG Uplus and KT will launch VoLTE services at the end of September and October, respectively.