LTE — or 4G — support for Apple’s next iPhone has been expected, if not certain, and now a report from Korea gives us another reason to believe that 4G will be a feature of the upcoming device.
SK Telecom and KT, two official iPhone wireless carriers in Korea, have both been in talks to offer LTE connectivity on Apple’s next handheld, officials from both companies reportedly told the Korea Times under the veil of anonymity.
With LTE being supported in the latest iPad models its believed by most that an LTE equipped iPhone will be introduced next month, LTE is not as easy to support as 3G is. All existing 3G networks operate within a 2.1 gigahertz frequency.
However, frequencies are different depending on the carrier when it comes to the LTE. SK is using an 800-megahertz frequency as its main LTE network. U.S. carrier Verizon uses 700-megahertz, while AT&T has both 700-megahertz and 2.1-gigahertz networks.
A senior KT executive, who asked not to be identified, said that KT is in negotiations with Apple to persuade the device maker to support KT’s 1.8 gigahertz frequency in Korea for the upcoming iPhone. SK Telecom is reportedly looking for the same treatment for its 800 megahertz LTE network.
The number of LTE subscribers in Korea is around 8.4 million. 4 million of those are on the SK network, with another 1.4 millon connected to KT’s.
“KT is eager to narrow the market gap with SK Telecom and even LG Uplus in the fight for LTE-enabled devices,” said another KT source. “If the talks with Apple produce visible results, then we will rise as the top LTE service provider in Korea.”
Apple refused to include LTE connectivity in it’s previous generation iPhones as they said the first wave of LTE chipsets were too large and power hungry. However, chip makers such as Qualcomm are believed to have alleviated those concerns with more advanced designs.
