The agreement also calls for Samsung to design and launch two LTE-enabled smartphone handsets which will be available in 2011 in Cellular South's 700 MHz footprint.
The advanced end-to-end LTE network and devices from Samsung will allow Cellular South customers to stream video, download music, enhance Web browsing capabilities at high downloading speeds, and utilize voice communication to increase productivity and access downloadable applications. Samsung and Cellular South will launch LTE service by the end of 2011 using voice-over LTE (VoLTE) and continue to expand availability across its 700 MHz footprint in 2012.
"Samsung is excited to work with Cellular South to bring the speed and connectivity of LTE infrastructure and devices to consumers in the Southeastern United States, along with two LTE-enabled handsets by the fourth quarter of 2011," said Mr. Kim Woonsub, Executive Vice President and Head of the Telecommunication Systems Business of Samsung Electronics. "The LTE network and upcoming handsets will enable Cellular South customers to consume multimedia content like they never have before, such as Samsung's Media Hub service, with first-rate movies and TV programming. Our collaboration with Cellular South will also expand consumers personal communication capabilities, including Samsung's Social Hub service, which integrates contacts, calendar and social networking accounts into intuitive user interfaces."
"Cellular South is pleased to partner with Samsung on an LTE solution that uses all of our spectrum in the lower 700 MHz band," said Hu Meena, President and CEO of Cellular South. "This network will deliver a first-class LTE experience to our customers who want the freedom to access content and services and to communicate in new and innovative ways, whether it's Samsung, Cellular South's deployment for LTE infrastructure, two LTE-enabled handsets for viewing video, listening to their favorite music, gaming or social networking."
Samsung's commercial LTE network products leverage years of 4G orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) commercial experience in MIMO networks and have flexible bandwidth support of 1.4 to 20 MHz standards. Samsung's network infrastructure supports a wide portfolio of enhanced node B (eNB) products, including rack types, remote radio heads (RRH), picocells and distributed antenna system (DAS) hosts.
Samsung's network solutions feature a scalable, single rack, enhanced packet core (EPC) along with IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) products, to support rapid deployment and end-to-end quality control through devices.
Samsung's infrastructure network products also feature an open architecture which supports multi-vendor inter-operations through initiatives such as the LTE Strategic Test Initiative (LSTI). Samsung's network infrastructure will incorporate Self-Organizing Networks (SON), high efficiency multimode amplifiers and energy saving modes.
