WiBro World Forum 2006 Major steps being taken by Korea for world market domination Following the government sector's efforts to publicize Korea's WiBro (Wireless Broadband) technology on a global level, the privately-led WiBro World Forum(http://wibro-worldforum.org) will be held in Seoul next month.... Ed. This WiBro World Forum initiated by KICS (the Korean Institute of Communication & Science) is expected to significantly boost awareness of Korean-made WiBro technology in a point of time when KT, as well as SK Telecom, selected as WiBro business providers, will commence their WiBro commercial service in June. Prof. Jang Yeong Min, substantially responsible for this WiBro World Forum, Kookmin University (Ubiquitous IT Convergence Research Center/Head), says that WiBro's spread and its base enlargement are the major goals of this WiBro World Forum. In that context, he emphasized that WiBro itself must be exported globally, adding that as domestic national-policy laboratory as well as associated companies' technology development was accomplished successfully, Korea has come to secure a foundation to be able to secure the world market. As an individual-model broadband service, WiBro will be a basis for the second Internet revolution to pave the way for wireless TPS era, he assessed. In the case of CDMA which celebrates the 10th anniversary of its commercialization in Korea, Korea is paying an exorbitant royalty to Qualcomm of the United States. In contrast, WiBro will not require payment of any royalties to any foreign companies since it will be serviced for the first time in the world by means of Korea's own technology and standardization, he said. KT & SK Telecom are forecasted to unfold service business as well as marketing policy which stressed service differentiation at an early stage. The Prof. Jang predicted that with standardization efforts, technology commercialization, service development will lead not only WiBro field's international standardization, but also further will create opportunities to take the initiative of IMT-Advanced Standardization Technology. Prof. Jang who pointed out that there are many obstacles facing global introduction of Korea's WiBro, explained that it needs in that respect to conclude technology collaboration MOUs (memorandums of understanding) for the purpose of world market penetration. Now that WiBro's final goal is to allow many more general users globally to use WiBro, the government or associated domestic companies need to help world operators service WiBro better in their respective countries, Jang advised. In regard to WiBro's second version as well as WiBro's evolution, Jang predicted that it would be developed in a direction that enhances speed by means of MIMO technology and supports seamless handover in terms of network, explaining that WiBro evolution discussion is just about to start. He expressed big expectations of this WiBro World Forum, adding that it would provide related foreign scholars and many participants amounting to 800 people with a decisive momentum in diffusing Mobile WiMAX, along with the "WiBro Developer Forum" which will be held on Oct. 19~20, 2006 in Seoul. The WiBro World Forum's preliminary programs include WiBro (Mobile WiMAX) standardization & policies, WiBro services, system & terminals for WiBro, business models and enterprises for WiBro, applications for WiBro, chips & repeaters for WiBro, business models for IMT-2000, system/terminal for IMT- 2000, vision of 4G, system for 4G, air interfaces of 4G, tutorial, WiBro demonstrations and exhibitions.