The Korea Communications Commission (KCC), South Korea’s telecoms regulator, has revealed plans to allow the introduction of more WiBro operators in a bid to drive uptake of such services, the Korea Herald reports. In addition, the KCC has also said that it will allow mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) to invest in the WiBro sector.
The new legislation is part of the regulator’s attempts to stimulate the WiBro market, and in total the regulator has unveiled eight tasks it will carry out in a bid to spur WiBro growth. The eight tasks are categorised under three main policy directions; establishing an environment that facilitates competition; establishing effective national network; and the value of WiBro as a business model. The plans include facilitating the spread of devices with WiBro and Wi-Fi functions and the introduction of cheaper smart-phones.
In addition, the KCC noted that both KT Corp and SK Telecom (SKT) had failed meet their licensing conditions with regards to WiBro services. The regulator claims that KT’s WiBro investments for the two-year period to end-2008 fell 14% short of planned spending, while it claims SKT has fallen short of its investment plans by 20%. On the back of these failings, the KCC says it plans to issue corrective orders, adding that it will take stronger action if such failures are repeated in the future. The regulator has also called on telcos to submit their plans relating to WiBro investment for the next two years, while also saying it will require operators to issue reports on their progress in the sector twice a year until 2011.