LG Telecom, the nation`s smallest mobile carrier, yesterday said it will become the leader of the mobile internet era with the launch of its "OZ" flagship third-generation service.
"The center of the world`s telecommunications industry is quickly shifting to the mobile internet. We will spearhead a new era in the mobile internet," Jung Il-jae, LG Telecom`s CEO, said at a news conference.
Jung said his company will make it cheaper and easier to surf the internet, check e-mails, and use other internet services via handsets by offering drastic cuts in wireless internet charges and providing a mobile web environment similar to that of a computer.
He said the current mobile data services offered by its two bigger rivals - SK Telecom and KTF - are expensive and cumbersome.
"One has to go through complicated steps to reach content that one wants. What`s worse is that service charges are astronomical," Jung said.
For example, he said, it costs about 6,000 won to download a 1.5-megabyte song via mobile phone.
LG Telecom will charge the same for up to one gigabyte of data downloads or transmissions a month, under its new mobile internet tariff plan. The new service will also give its subscribers limitless access to mobile internet services for the first six months after they sign up. Although the promotional plan will be available until September, LG Telecom plans to roll out new competitive data tariff plans, Chung said.
For users who hope to use the service on select days, the company also unveiled a daily pricing plan, which charges only 1,000 won per day for limitless data usage.
The company also plans to roll out cheaper handsets capable of delivering mobile internet services on high-resolution wide-screens.
LG Telecom is banking on the mobile internet for its 3G service, while its bigger rivals have highlighted the video calling features of their respective 3G brands, named "T" and "SHOW."
LG Telecom entered the 3G market belatedly with a nationwide launch of its Revision A network in late February. SK Telecom and KTF`s 3G services are supported by HSDPA networks.
Jung said LG Telecom was open to adopting Google`s mobile software for its 3G service, saying the U.S. company`s platform is similar to that of the Korean company.
"We are not in a good position to make Google phones now, but we are willing to actively discuss with foreign companies if it helps to promote our service," he said.
The nation`s mobile market is shifting towards 3G services, led by KTF, which began its nationwide service in April last year. SK Telecom followed suit in October in 2007.
Some 7.8 million people, or 17 percent of the nation`s mobile phone users, subscribed to 3G services as of the end of February. Industry sources expect the number of 3G subscribers to surge to 15 million by the end of this year.
KTF has the largest share of the 3G market with 4.2 million subscribers, followed by SK Telecom with 3.6 million subscribers. LG Telecom has only 80,000 3G subscribers.
By Jin Hyun-joo
(hjjin@heraldm.com)
"The center of the world`s telecommunications industry is quickly shifting to the mobile internet. We will spearhead a new era in the mobile internet,"LG Telecom will charge the same for up to one gigabyte of data downloads or transmissions a month, under its new mobile internet tariff plan.The nation`s mobile market is shifting towards 3G services, led by KTF, which began its nationwide service in April last year. SK Telecom followed suit in October in 2007.
LGT make new plan to enter the 3G service. I think that this project is little late, but good decision. The internet service in the mobile-phone is getting grow and the industry scale is increased. By offering the low price of using internet with new competitive data traffic system, and the developing those project can make huge power to LGT.
