SK Telecom has extended its LTE roaming services to Japan, in collaboration with Masayoshi Son's Softbank.
SK Telecom customers using devices compatible with the 1.8-GHz and 2.1-GHz bands will now be able to roam on Softbank's LTE network while visiting Japan.
The deal builds on similar agreements with operators in countries including Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines, as well as Canada and Switzerland. SK Telecom is also in 4G roaming talks with operators in China and the US.
Softbank's founder and CEO Son is of Korean descent.
SK Telecom also announced it had completed a test involving interworking 1.8-GHz FDD LTE and 2.6-GHz TD-LTE trial networks in Saudi Arabia, in cooperation with Mobily.
The company has revealed plans to build on this successful test by commercialising an international dual-mode LTE auto roaming service.
“By achieving successful interworking between FD-LTE and TD-LTE trial networks in Saudi Arabia, we are confident that we will able to bring LTE roaming service to another level,” SK Telecom SVP and head of collaboration marketing Kim Young-sup said.
In July, SingTel launched an auto-roaming service supporting LTE as well as 2G and 3G. The service debuted with availability in 44 markets.