Samsung launching Korean LTE network for public safety

Anyone who has been near a national disaster – or even just a massive sporting event – knows the frustration of clogged cellular service. This phenomenon is known as ‘the nightclub problem,’ a term I just invented on the spot because the situation is a lot like trying to communicate in a crowded club. Once everyone gets excited and confused, they start shouting, and because everyone is shouting, nobody can hear anything, so of course one must shout louder to be heard, thus contributing further to the noise. There is no time when it is more essential to be able to communicate clearly than in emergency situations, which is why Samsung is rolling out the “first live PS-LTE network in the world using the 3GPP telecommunications standard.”

Our techno-savvy world has something of an achilles heel. We have become so reliant on instant information and communication that when we’re stripped of it, we often don’t know what to do. This Public Service LTE network will serve as a kind of failsafe, allowing smartphone users to stay in contact with each other even when national calamity is at hand, potentially saving lives.

Samsung’s network will arrive first in Seoul, where the network’s main control center is housed. Over the next few months, the network will spread to encompass the full city, then the province of Gangwon, and ultimately all of South Korea. Samsung believes they should be able to provide nationwide emergency coverage sometime in 2017.

What are your thoughts regarding Samsung’s public safety network? Will these kinds of redundant networks become standard, or will it be more important to push for the development of 5G networks capable of supporting national communication even in the event of crises? Let us know your opinion in the comments below!