BAENGNYEONGDO, Incheon ― SK Telecom announced Friday that it has expanded its domestic VoLTE, HD Voice service, to the West Sea islands of Korea, in the latest move by the telecommunications provider to broaden its service network for customers.

The company held a successful trial run of the service on Baengnyeongdo, located about 380 km west of Seoul on Friday.

According to a company official, the area has traditionally been isolated and has received spotty reception compared to other regions, but now tourists, military personnel, and others in the area will benefit from this expanded service.

The expanded coverage includes Baengnyeongdo, Yeonpyeongdo, as well as three other islands located in the West Sea, SK Telecom said during a recent press briefing. 

The VoLTE service allows smartphone users to place high quality phone calls and HD video calls. Consumers can even switch back and forth between the two during the same call, according to company officials.

The company was able to expand the network thanks to the installation of a new service tower earlier this year. It was installed at a higher elevation than previous towers, allowing microwaves to travel more easily, a company official said.

Microwaves are commonly used when cable use from point A to B is impractical, but they are easily affected by weather conditions, such as sea fog, he said. So the new tower’s higher elevation helps offset this handicap, because the “waves can now travel above the fog,” he said.

An SK Telecom official also said that microwaves, which allow for wireless transmission of data and other information, are commonly used in geographically isolated areas.

Baengnyeongdo is less than 14 km off the coast of North Korea, and remains strategically important for national security, resulting in heightened military presence and tension in the region, SK Telecom said.

A company official said that SK Telecom has invested about 3 billion won so far into this new expanded coverage project, which has been under way since late last year.

By Renee Park  (renee@heraldcorp.com)