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Samsung Electronics Elected to WiMAX Forum

SEOUL, Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 12, 2005--Samsung Electronics, a leading wireless communications company, was elected to the Board of Directors of the WiMAX Forum, the highest body of the broadband wireless nonprofit organisation. The announcement was made at the WiMAX Forum meeting held in Spain.

Samsung Electronics, which joined the WiMAX Forum last December, was unanimously elected as a new board member. With its heightened role, the company is expected to make a bigger contribution to the shared mission of developing a global standard for broadband wireless access.

The WiMAX Forum is an industry-led, nonprofit corporation formed to promote and certify compatibility and interoperability of broadband wireless products based on the IEEE 802.16 standard. The WiMAX Forum was formed in 2001 by leading communication operators, communication components and equipment companies, and semiconductor makers in order to promote compatibility and interoperability of broadband wireless access technology. Currently, 240 member companies participate in the Forum, including Intel, Fujitsu and Alcatel.

The WiMAX Forum supports and promotes the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Standard 802.16, a technical standard for broadband wireless access, and is seeking to develop the existing fixed standard (802.16d) into a mobilised standard (802.16e).

WiBro, which South Korean companies are expected to commercialise for the first time in the world, is also based on the IEEE's mobilised technical standard (802.16e), allowing WiBro to be compatible with mobile WiMAX. Samsung Electronics successfully performed the first WiBro demonstration late last year.

Samsung Electronics vice president Joonho Park will represent Samsung on the board.

"With Samsung Electronics' latest advance into the WiMAX Forum's Board of Directors, standardisation of mobile WiMAX (WiBro) will be actively pursued," said Park.

About Samsung Electronics

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2004 parent company sales of US$55.2 billion and net income of US$10.3 billion. Employing approximately 123,000 people in 93 offices in 48 countries, the company consists of five main business units: Digital Appliance Business, Digital Media Business, LCD Business, Semiconductor Business and Telecommunication Network Business. Recognised as one of the fastest growing brands, Samsung Electronics is the world's largest producer of colour monitors, colour TVs, memory chips and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com