October 6, 2004
South Korean mobile firms eye profits from TV, karaoke
South Korean cell phone operators are launching some of the world's most advanced handsets in an effort to prise more money out of their customers, rolling out fresh technology for mobile TV, gaming, banking and mapping services, according to Reuters.
"Their success so far and the challenges ahead are a lesson for wireless operators worldwide as markets mature and mobile Internet services struggle to take off.
South Korean mobile firms say users with advanced phones subscribed to high-speed data services spend a third more on their phone bills than the industry average of $30.20 a month.
Packages of data services, including TV, music downloads and text messaging, can cost as much as $60 a month on top of voice calls.
So companies are aggressively pushing subscribers to change voice-only handsets to newer models for third-generation (3G) networks.
About a quarter of mobile subscribers use its most advanced 3G networks, putting South Korea alongside Japan as a major market for the technology.
Among the new services supported by the phones, SK Telecom will begin multimedia broadcasts by satellite in late 2004 for the first time in the world, beaming data, music and videos to handsets.
-- LG Telecom has recently introduced a phone that can recognise the owner's fingerprint to ensure security for mobile banking services.
-- KTF plans to offer a handset that can download videos with captions, for karaoke sing-alongs and foreign language lessons.
-- Some new phones can control appliances such as DVD recorders, air conditioners and washing machines when they are away from home. Other new services include location finding and three-dimensional games.
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