|
Interview with Dr Nam Joong-Soo, President, KT Corporation, Republic of Korea, on the future of regional digital convergence.
 Korea has enjoyed tremendous success in broadband and mobile services. What will be the next big digital service available in Korea?
It is well known that Korea has one of the world’s highest penetration rates in both broadband internet and CDMA services, which has provided groundwork for the advanced digital services that we see in the market today.
These services are no longer just the simple voice or data services of the past, they are rapidly moving towards fixed-wireless convergence, as well as telecom-broadcasting convergence.
In this light, the next big digital service in Korea will be WiBro, or Wireless Broadband, which we’ll be rolling out this year. We believe that WiBro is the first step towards fixed-wireless convergence, answering the growing needs of our customers for a mobile and portable broadband multimedia service through a single, integrated device.
What is driving this trend towards digital convergence in Korea?
Basically there are two main factors. One is driven by our customers, while the other is dictated by technology.
Customers’ needs are becoming very complex, and this is a trend that’s universal across the globe. They demand mobility, multi-functionality, immediacy and variety. All of which also need to be more personalized and intimate at the same time. Korean consumers are particularly tech-savy and show early-adopter qualities, pushing this trend towards a convergent service environment. |  |
"The next big digital service in Korea will be WiBro, or Wireless Broadband, which we’ll be rolling out this year. We believe that WiBro is the first step towards fixed-wireless convergence."
|
Technology plays a big role in this change as well. New technologies such as WiBro, HSDPA and FTTH all provide wider bandwidth and increase wireless access, enabling more and more devices to be networked.
These factors combine to create new opportunities for the industry as a whole. They will create new markets for new products and services - a competitive playground that will further speed up the process towards digital convergence.
What are your strategies to most effectively get content onto the WiBro platform?
Our strategy can be summarized this way:
First, we will incorporate an open platform for OS and infrastructure, to attract participation from a wider pool of CPs, as well as providing a common platform with current CDMA-based mobile contents.
Second, we will develop and support a user-friendly solution. For example, applying H.264 for higher quality digital motion picture services and incorporating DRM systems to ensure cross application of contents across different devices.
Third, we will take full advantage of KT’s group resources. For instance, KTF’s (mobile subsidiary) mobile music service platform is a good source to procure music contents, while KTH (data service subsidiary) is an ideal source for WiBro’s news, games, and portal services. We have also recently acquired Korea’s leading movie production company to strengthen our capability to deliver diverse contents over WiBro.
|
