Broadband KOREA

On the first day of April, 1999 South Korea became the world’s first country that commercially launched ADSL broadband, Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, which is 60 times faster than ISDN, Integrated Services Digital Network. And until now, South Korea’s know-hows and experiences in the development of advanced IT technologies and infrastructures have been benchmarked by many countries that want to develop and initiate their long-term plans for the IT infrastructure investment.

We, VEYOND PARTNERS, have long been dedicated to providing insights into the Korean TMT(Telecommunications, Media, and Technology) sector for clients from both public and private sectors in developed and developing countries. We understand that countries in the world are now struggling to find ways to lift their economies out of recession. We believe that Korea’s experiences and lessons learned in the course of the implementation of the IT infrastructure development plan during the Asian economic crisis would be a great reference to those countries.

Below is a quick snapshot for you to look at what changes had been made after the Korean government embarked on the IT infrastructure plan in 1999.

Source: National Information Society Agency, South Korea

After the launch of ADSL broadband service in 1999, a large number of new Internet-based businesses and service models were created not only by corporations and retailers, but also by students and those who want to run their own business by harnessing the power of broadband. Korea’s rapid technology pace has made many knowledge-based technology ventures that leverage experience in a broadband Internet environment feasible, and still such businesses as online game and Internet web service has been evolving, which certainly contribute to keeping Korean economy moving forward. So, it can be said that the broadband infrastructure became a road for Korean government to ride out the economic crisis and to generate the next wave of economic expansion.

Below are some reasons for Korea’s ICT success and whether they are replicable in other nations. If you want to know more about it, we, VEYOND PARTNERS, will help you find more in-depth information.

Source: ITU