SK Telecom, European firms seek roaming service on Internet of Things

SEOUL, July 14 (Yonhap) -- SK Telecom Co., South Korea's top mobile carrier, on Thursday said it plans to jointly develop network servers and other devices with European firms for a low-power Internet of Things (IoT) technology.

The planned cooperation with European firms, which included France's EGM and CEA that support the LoRa technology for the IoT, is expected to allow SK Telecom's customers to share the IoT services in European countries.

The IoT technology is aimed at connecting every object with the Internet, allowing them to send and receive data. The LoRa technology is one of the IoT standards seeking to become a global platform.

If a roaming service on the IoT technology with European firms is materialized, it could help an SK Telecom customer find lost baggage at a European airport, SK Telecom said in a statement.

SK Telecom proposed the cooperation at this week's conference on the IoT technology between South Korea and the European Union.

SK Telecom and the French firms also agreed to develop a standard for a roaming service on the IoT technology by the end of this year, according to the statement.

Last year, SK Telecom became the first Asian member of the LoRa Alliance, a nonprofit organization that aims to develop standards for the so-called Low Power Wide Area Networks technology, which can be utilized in developing IoT-related products.

kdh@yna.co.kr
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