KT to Demonstrate WiBro
during APEC
Works on upgraded broadband service package, Octave Project
KT plans to put into service the wireless mobile internet, WiBro, the world-first one of its kind, in 2006, and the company WiBro projects WiBro subscribers will grow to 2 million one year following commercial launch of the service, a ranking company official said.
"A WiBro pilot service is likely to be launched in February or March 2006. KT will put priority on building up a platform, developing application services and securing contents so as to upgrade the quality of the service before making investments on the expansion of the coverage in earnest,"said Hong Won-pyo, senior vice president of Mobile Internet Business Group at KT.
Hong said in an interview with NewsWorld a survey by Korea Information Strategy Development Institute (KISDI) shows WiBro subscribers are projected to grow to 2 million one year following the commercial launch of the service and to 9 million in five years. Given the number of broadband Internet subscribers standing at 12 million in the first half of 2005, he said, KT sees that the WiBro demand foundation could have been already secured, and the projection is feasible if coverage expansion, development of contents and supply of terminals go smooth.
Such services as e-Learning, video contents and video phones have been test-operated through the BcN infrastructure to 600 subscribers in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, Daejeon and Daegu. The fixed line services available for 24 million subscribers will be transferred to BcN services on a gradual basis in the years to come. The existing infrastructure will be shifted into high-quality IP premium network by 2010 by integrating the existing broadband network into the projected BcN infrastructure, he said.
KT is now working on an upgraded broadband service package, dubbed "Octave Project."The project, based on service level agreement, calls for providing personalized service, Single Sign On (SSO) service, a single network certification, and diverse bundling services - four color (red, blue, green, yellow) services. "If and when the Octave project is complete, diverse types of knowledge will be circulated in a safer and more flexible manner, bringing about the development of ICT and an upgrade of the knowledge-based economy,"Hong said. The following are the excerpts of the interview.
Question: Would you elaborate on Korea's developments of the information communication technology and knowledge-based economy?
Answer: Broadband subscribers have risen to 12 million since 1999 when Korea launched the broadband project. Household customers account for 78 percent of the total subscribers. KT now has a 50 percent share in the broadband market. Broadband subscribers are projected to grow to 14 million by 2006, 98 percent of whom are household clients.
Korea's leading broadband service provider, KT is now working on an upgraded broadband service package, dubbed "Octave Project."The project, based on service level agreement, calls for providing personalized service, Single Sign On (SSO) service, a single network certification, and diverse bundling services - four color (red, blue, green, yellow) services. To this end, the telecom company is upgrading its network so that the quality of all services and safety can be guaranteed.
Take a look at the four-color Octave services. Red color refers to the entertainment service sector comprising of IP-TV, . VoD (Video on Demand) and GoD (Game on Demand) services. Blue color means the communication field, including video telephony, VoIP and IM (instant message). Green color offers such services as EoD (Education on Demand) and online study group in the education sector, while yellow color refers to such services as home care and control robot secretary in the "secure home"arena.
If and when the Octave project is complete, diverse types of knowledge will be circulated in a safer and more flexible manner, bringing about the development of ICT and an upgrade of the knowledge-based economy.
Q: KT is taking the lead in demonstrating the WiBro service, the world? first mobile Internet service during the APEC 2005 Korea scheduled for the late November in Busan. Would you introduce the new service?
A: WiBro, or Wireless Broadband Internet refers to surfing the Internet, communicating and exchanging messages and videos while on move by car running at a speed of 1 Mbps anytime anyplace.
Q: KT is ready to demonstrate the WiBro service under realistic conditions just 10 months after the company was awarded the right to offer the new service in January 2005. What knack does KT get in preparing the demonstration session in such a shortest time?
A: KT has made preparations systematically for the launch of the WiBro service even before the 2.3GHz bandwidth was allotted for the new service.
KT has continued to develop relevant technologies after it built up a test-bed infrastructure in 2002. I understand that behind such a feat are the expertise and experiences the KT group has acquired while establishing and operating wired and wireless telecommunication networks on top of its closer collaboration among industry, academic and research circles.
Q: It is apparently significant for KT to hold the demonstration session on the WiBro service during the APEC 2005 Korea. What do you think of experimenting the WiBro service?
A: The APEC 2005 Korea is a large-scale gathering of bringing about 6,000 people, including heads of state from 21 APEC member economies, ministers, business leaders and news people, together. Employing the WiBro service, APEC participants can conduct information searches via the Internet while communicating with a video phone or participating in a multi-party video conference. They also watch news and film footages.
The WiBro service will be test-operated in such areas as the convention center BEXCO, Haeundae Beach and Dongbaek Islet where the Nurimaru, the venue of the second APEC economic leaders'meting, is located. Shuttle buses in which the WiBro service is available will be operated on a regular basis around the BEXCO, Haeundae Beach and Dongbaek Islet area. The general public will be given opportunities to experience the WiBro service freely.
The experimentation during the APEC conference period heralds a full-fledge launch of the WiBro service prior to its commercialization slated for next year, and it will serve as another opportunity to showcase Korea? IT technology prowess to the world. It is expected to create a boom on the new service even before the timing of commercialization.
Q: How does KT plan to make the commercial launch of the WiBro service after the experiment during the APEC conference?
A: KT will put into commercial operation the WiBro service in the first half of 2006. The service area will be expanded on a gradual basis, and the company will overhaul the infrastructure in order to invigorate the WiBro service market at the earliest date, while providing wired and wireless combinations services in association with Megapass and other services. KT aims to cultivate diverse contents corresponding to the characteristics of the WiBro service and develop various types of multimode comprehensive terminals in a bid to take a lead in a ubiquitous computing era.
Q: Would you be more specific in the schedule for commercializing the WiBro service and the nationwide coverage of the service?
A: A WiBro pilot service is likely to be launched in February or March 2006. KT will put priority on building up a platform, developing application services and securing contents so as to upgrade the quality of the service before making investments on the expansion of the coverage in earnest.
Q: What? your projection about the demand of the service?
A: A survey made by Korea Information Strategy Development Institute (KISDI) shows that WiBro subscribers are projected to grow to 2 million one year following the commercial launch of the service and to 9 million in five years. Given the number of broadband Internet subscribers standing at 12 million in the first half of 2005, KT sees that the WiBro demand foundation could have been already secured, and the projection is feasible if coverage expansion, development of contents and supply of terminals go smooth.
Q: Would you give a brief explanation on the consortium of the Octave Project, headed by KT?
The Octave consortium is composed of 14 companies, including the manager KT, mobile telecom operators, equipment makers, solution and content makers. Since last September, it has participated in the government? first, pilot Broadband Convergence Network (BcN) project. The consortium will invest into infrastructure build-up and new service development by the end of the year.
Q: Would you elaborate on the recent experimental BcN service and future plans?
A: Many telecom industry people and government officials, including the MIC vice minister, the KT president and president of the National Computerization Agency, participated in a ceremony for launching a BcN pilot service at KT? office in Yeouido on October 6.
Such services as e-Learning, video contents and video phones have been test-operated through the BcN infrastructure to 600 subscribers in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, Daejeon and Daegu. Problems found during the pilot service will be fixed prior to commercial operation.
The fixed line services available for 24 million subscribers will be transferred to BcN services on a gradual basis in the years to come. The existing infrastructure will be shifted into high-quality IP premium network by 2010 by integrating the broadband network into the BcN infrastructure.
To this end, KT has begun to invest into building up BcN infrastructure by having already installed IP premium network nodes in two locations in Seoul and one each in Daejeon and Daegu.
In particular, Octave consortium companies, including KT, Samsung Electronics, Sinjisoft and Corecess, have been recognized for having developed such core BcN technologies as soft switch and network control equipment on their own for the first time in the world. nw

Hong Won-pyo, senior vice president of Mobile Internet Business Group at KT

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