4G network launched in South Korea said fastest ever for consumers

A South Korean firm has started offering an LTE-Advanced 4G network it says will deliver the fastest 4G data speeds ever made available to consumers. SK Telecom says its LTE-Advanced network, with a potential download speed of 150 megabits per second, is initially being offered in 44 cities including the capital Seoul, the BBC reported Thursday. While subscribers may not always see the full download speeds, the service will still be fast enough to start offering a full-HD 1080p video streaming service in early July, SK Telecom said. Samsung has announced a special version of its Galaxy S4 handset with a new chip to connect to the LTE-A system, and another six compatible devices from various manufacturers are expected to be available before the end of the year, SK Telecom said. Existing devices will not be able to take advantage of the speed boost, but users who choose to upgrade their equipment will not face additional data fees, it said.