Korea boosts flatlining WiBro market

With subscriber takeup 97% short of target, Korea’s home-brewed mobile broadband technology WiBro is not the hit its backers expected it to be.

 

So regulator KCC plans to issue more WiBro licenses and clear the way for MVNOs to invest in the market, in an attempt to stimulate the lagging market.

 

It has also called for the establishment of a nationwide WiBro network.

 

According to the KCC, just 170,000 customers had signed for WiBro by the end of last year – just 3% of the figure predicted when licenses were first issued in 2005.

 

WiBro is a stand-alone Korean technology built by local electronics firms such as Samsung and LG. It is interoperable with mobile Wimax. While a number of trials have been conducted abroad, Korea is the only market with a commercial service.

 

KCC also plans to issue corrective orders to the two current licensees KT and SK Telecom, after finding they have fallen behind in their investment obligations, the Korea Times said. 

 

The regulator has threatened to take stronger action in the future if they do not boost spending on the service.

 

KT's investment in the wireless broadband standard has fallen 14% short of its obligations, KCC said, while SK Telecom has fallen short of its planned spending by 20%.