Forbes has recently made a special report “Window Into The Wireless Future” about wireless technologies in South Korea. I am sure that it can be an interesting and insightful reference to those who are interested in the Korean TMT(Technology, Media, Telecoms) sector. I hope you enjoy reading this report, and if you have any questions regarding the contents of the report, you can email me and I will reply to your questions as early as possilbe.

Window Into The Wireless Future

Written by Elizabeth Woyke

Forbes travels to Korea for a peek at how the world of wireless is evolving

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RINGING IN THE FUTURE

The Future of Wireless

In Korea, it’s difficult to talk technology without encountering the word “ubiquitous.” Technologists here attach the term to words as varied as “life,” “computing” and “community.” The message: Every technology in Korea, from broadband to digital television, is designed to be always on, always with you…..

Why Korea Isn’t Rushing To 4G

Super-wired South Korea easily outranks the U.S. in most measures of broadband. But that might just change. In a surprising twist, with help from Korean companies, the U.S. could win the race to upgrade cellular networks to faster mobile broadband speeds…..

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PHONE INNOVATIONS TODAY

Cool Phones Out Of Reach (In America)

Smitten with LG’s ingeniously-named “Ice Cream” phone? Charmed by Samsung’s playful “Haptic Pop” handset? Be prepared to wait–in vain–since neither phone is slated for a U.S. launch…..

Creating LG’s Watch Phone

Few phones have fired up the public’s imagination like LG Electronics’ Watch Phone. The device, which packs advanced cellphone features into a wristwatch, was a hit at January’s Consumer Electronics Show and this week’s Mobile World Congress exhibition, where LG’s mobile head, Skott Ahn, used it to call Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer. Mobile operator Orange recently committed to selling the phone in Europe later this year…..

LG’s Weapon: Netbooks

In the U.S., consumer electronics maker LG Electronics is best known for its cellphones and flat-screen TVs. By this summer, the company hopes to make a name for itself in PCs too…..

Favorite Phone Fruits: Apple Vs. BlackBerry

South Korea would appear to be the ideal market for Research In Motion’s BlackBerry. After all, the country manufactures and consumes some of the world’s most sophisticated mobile technology. Koreans are big into mobile messaging. And the nation is wired for fast, 3G cellular service…..

Samsung, LG Design Face-off

The Korean electronics giants are currently ranked No. 2 and No. 3 worldwide in cellphone shipments after leader Nokia(NOK-news-people). Both are betting on design to keep them in the top three globally, and maybe even catapult them into the lead spot…..

Korea’s Pantech Rings Up U.S. Sales

It’s been a whirlwind year for Pantech Wireless. The Atlanta-based subsidiary of South Korean cellphone maker Pantech Group has released six phones in the last 12 months, including four in the last quarter. AT&T is promoting two of the handsets in TV spots as ideal holiday gifts. Patrick Beattie, Pantech Wireless’ vice president of marketing and sales, says the company has never been busier…..

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RINGING IN SOCIAL CHANGE

The Struggles of OhMyNews

Why pay for a pack of professional journalists when you can get by with gifted amateurs? Established in February 2000 by former investigative magazine journalist Yeon Ho Oh, OhmyNews is South Korea’s grand experiment in citizen journalism. It was touted by organizations from the BBC to Time magazine as the future of the media industry…..

OhMyNews Chooses Influence Over Income

South Korean citizen journalism site OhmyNews is in the red, but says its mission is on track. “OhmyNews is more concerned with being a social and media movement than a business,” says Jean K. Min, the site’s international communications director. “Our goal is to empower citizens.”…..

Grappling With Internet Addiction

Korea is a textbook example. The nation enjoys some of the fastest and cheapest broadband in the world. It also continually battles the adverse effects of being so wired, starting with Internet addiction and cybercrime….

Korea Bridges Digital Divide

Dr. Yeongi Son has a message for President Obama: If you’re serious about making broadband a priority, establish an agency dedicated to digital divide issues…..

Greening Korea

Unlike its neighbor Japn, South Korea is rarely associated with environmentalism. But without fanfare, some of Korea’s leading corporations are embracing renewable energy technologies…..

Can you imagine that you collect your nectar point with your mobile phone? It might be possible in the near future because your nectar card function can be embedded in the USIM card in your mobile phone. This will definitely lighten you wallet, which are usually filled with a number of credit cards, royalty cards etc.

However, it is already the reality for the customers of SK Telecom in Korea. SK marketing & company and SK Telecom today launch their new service called ‘OK Cashbag Happy Box’. OK Cashbag by SK marketing & company is Korea’s leading royalty program (80% of Korea’s economically active populations are members of OK Cashbag). And SK marketing & company is unique integrated marketing services provider in Korea covering communications, royalty, research & consulting, commerce etc.

Previously, you have to carry your OK Cashbag card all the time in order to collect your point. And you should visit their website for checking your current points. This inconvenience hinders customers to collect and spend the points more actively. However, you can now collect and check your points with your mobile phone more conveniently as long as you can download the ‘Happy Box’ with your 3G phone.

3G phones which required USIM chip began to be deployed in Korea since 2006. Approximately 40% of customers are now 3G subscribers and this 3G migration is progressing so smoothly. The USIM is not just a small chip that has customer information for mobile subscribers but it has much more potential for providing various mobile applications.

[OK Cashbag in USIM chip]

The Happy Box provides not only royalty card function but also other valuable services. Basically, you can collect your OK Cashbag point at the 4,000 SK petrol stations all over the country. The wireless devices available at the petrol station will accept your 3G mobile phone instead of the card. The Happy Box also provides other services such as Giftycon, Mobile Research and Today’s Fortune etc.

[SK OK Cashbag Happy Box]

Personally, I once involved in a new biz development project regarding USIM. At that time I could find huge potential for USIM applications as a marketing tool. 90% of people now carry their mobile phones in which a chip with significant capacity is embedded. I believe the launch of Happy Box is just a tip of iceberg of USIM based service. Please keep watching on Korea regarding what’s happening with USIM.

KT, South Korea’s largest fixed-line telephone operator and leading WiBro service provider, has been in a dilemma, whether to opt for WiBro(a Korean version of WiMax) or LTE(3GPP Long Term Evolution) as potential 4G mobile technology after its planned merger with KTF.

KTF, Korea Telecom Freetel, is the country’s mobile phone service provider in favor of LTE-based 4G technology in that LTE can be used on its existing 3G networks.

Now KT has been hesitant to push WiBro, fearing the technology may cannibalize KTF’s mobile phone business and knowing LTE technology is most likely to become the mainstream 4G standard. Most experts say that now it may be the right time for KT to decide which path to take for the next generation technology so that KT can take the lead in the 4G mobile market against SK Telecom, South Korea’s leading mobile phone service provider. It would be interesting to watch which one of them will be selected for KT’s 4G strategy afterwards.