The Korea Communications Commission granted KT Corp. permission to end its feature phone service beginning on Dec. 8 on Wednesday.
The state telecom regulator said KT will have two weeks to inform its existing 159,000 feature phone users by at least two different methods -- including mail -- that they will need to change to smartphones running on third generation (3G) networks or choose other mobile service operators.
This indicates that KT will begin building ground to launch its fourth generation (4G) network technology Long Term Evolution service beginning next month, following behind its other two rivals SK Telecom and LG Uplus.
KT became a latecomer in the LTE market because it needed to empty the radio spectrum for second generation (2G) network services to launch next-generation LTE services. The company plans to inject 1.3 trillion won in the 4G network establishment by 2012.
“The KCC’s decision enables the company to offer good quality telecommunications services to the people by efficiently using the radio spectrum and encouraging investment in next-generation communication networks,” said KT officials.
In order to assist its 2G service subscribers to move onto mobiles operating on 3G networks, KT said it plans to provide a support package that includes discounts on payment plans, the deduction of subscription fees and cancellation charges as well as a pool of free mobile devices.
For those who wish to continue their 2G subscriptions, KT will give 73,000 won as support fund when returning their 2G mobiles and 40,000 won when customers decide to keep their devices, said KT officials. They also said customers will have up to six months to apply for the fund after the completion of 2G services.
The government’s approval comes after the country’s largest fixed-line operator was rejected twice by the commission to end its service for owners of feature phones, or mobiles running on the company’s 2G networks.
Earlier in July, KT resubmitted its plan to end 2G services by September after the firm’s first proposal was turned down by the commission in late June.
However, it was rejected by the state regulator, stating the number of 2G service subscribers was still too high to give the green light to go forward with the action.
By Cho Ji-hyun
(sharon@heraldcorp.com)
<한글기사>
2주뒤 2G종료..15만 가입자 어디로?
KT가 2세대(2G) 이동통신(PCS) 서비스를 다음 달 8일부터 중단한다.
방송통신위원회는 23일 전체회의를 열고 KT의 2G 서비스 폐지를 승인하기로 의결했다.
단, 14일 동안 우편 안내를 포함한 최소 2가지 방법으로 현 2G 가입자에게 서비스 종료 사실을 통지해야 한다는 조건을 달았다.
이 기간 15만9천명(지난 21일 기준)에 달하는 KT의 2G 가입자들은 KT의 3G 서비스로 전환하거나 SK텔레콤·LG유플러스(U+) 등 다른 이동통신사로 옮겨야 한다.
따라서 KT는 다음 달 8일부터 2G망 철거 작업을 시작할 수 있다. 폐지 절차를 최종 마무리하면 방통위에 해당 사실과 이용자 보호조치를 즉시 보고해야 한다.
방통위는 "KT는 2G 서비스를 폐지한 이후에도 지난 9월19일 방통위에 제출한 2G 이용자 보호 계획에 따라 남은 이용자와 기존 전환자에게 약속한 가입비 면제, 단말기 무료 제공등의 혜택을 지속적으로 제공해야 한다"고 강조했다.
방통위는 KT가 2G 종료 방침을 밝힌 지난 3월부터 2G 가입자를 다른 서비스로 전환하려고 노력한 것으로 판단되고, 국·내외 사례와 비교해 남은 가입자 수가 적은 편이며, KT의 2G를 대체할 다른 서비스가 있다는 점에서 서비스 종료를 승인하기로 했다고 설명했다.
특히 최근 이동통신 기술의 발전 추세와 경쟁 상황을 고려할 때 차세대 서비스 인 롱텀에볼루션(LTE) 망을 조기에 구축해야 한다는 KT의 입장이 인정된다고 방통위 는 밝혔다.
KT는 방통위가 2G 종료를 승인하면 2G서비스 대역으로 이용 중인 1.8㎓ 주파수 대역에 4세대(4G) LTE 망을 구축할 계획이다.
![[Weekender] Korea's traditional sauce culture gains global recognition](http://res.heraldm.com/phpwas/restmb_idxmake.php?idx=644&simg=/content/image/2024/11/21/20241121050153_0.jpg)
