SKT LTE subscriber base passes 500,000

South Korea’s largest cellco by subscribers, SK Telecom (SKT), has announced that in the first four months of offering Long Term Evolution (LTE) services it has signed up more than half a million customers to its 4G tariffs. According to the Yonhap News Agency, the mobile network operator has claimed that the rate of uptake is outstripping that of third-generation services when they were first introduced; SKT noted that 3G subscribers did not hit the 500,000 mark until such services had been available for some 14 months. Further, looking towards future growth SKT also claimed that around 35% of its new smartphone subscribers are opting for LTE-compatible handsets, raising the prospect of a ready-made install base when the cellco does begin to offer an unlimited wireless data plan for LTE services.