KTF Sees 'Bright
Outlooks for Its
W-CDMA Service'
Its partnership with NTT DoCoMO gains synergetic effects

KTF Co. President-CEO Cho Young-chu said that chances are high that his company could make a strong showing in the soon-to-be launched 3G W-CDMA market in Korea.
KTF Cho said recently, "KTF is basically in an unfavorable situation compared to SK Telecom with deep pockets, which has fought on such several fronts as 3G and WiBro. However, KTF can attain more efficiency and better quality than its rival in the 3G network buildup and operation."In the 2G sector, SK Telecom dominated the 800MHz bandwidth with more favorable conditions as an early market entry, brand number superiority and automatic global roaming, and things are different in the emerging 3G market because KTF has a chance to win in the race with SK Telecom on the same bandwidth, he told an interview with Digital Times. KTF has acquired the expertise on the design, construction and operation of the 1.8FHz bandwidth 3G network for the past nine years.
Cho noted that during 2006 KTF will attach priority on making preparations for the full-fledged launch of the 3G service in 2007 rather than competition in securing subscribers. He said that 3G subscription base could be volatile due to issues related to the service coverage range and quality of handsets.
As for its comparison with WiBro and High Speed Downlink Packet Access, CEO Cho said WiBro has an advantage in the speed of data transmission, but W-CDMA has strength in terms of mobility and coverage, so they could have synergetic effects when they complement each other. KTF is working to establish a win-win strategy with HSDPA and WiBro its sister company KT will commercialize this year, he emphasized.
Since his inauguration as KTF CEO last June, Cho has focused on the 3G business area. CEO Cho pins high hopes on his company's partnership with NTT DoCoMo.
KTF and Japan's leading telecom operator NTT DoCoMo are joining hands for early promotion and leadership in the global standardization of W-CDMA. KTF CEO Cho and Masyuki Hirata, senior executive vice president of DoCoMo inked a deal on a comprehensive strategic partnership in Seoul last December 5.
DoCoMo was the first telecom operator in the world to commercialize W-CDMA service and retains the highest number of W-CDMA subscribers in the world.
The strategic partnership between the two companies brings together their core competencies with KTF's know-how in the development of wireless services and the greatest global technological strength in W-CDMA of DoCoMo, as well as the latter's operational experience. This partnership enables KTF to purse greater customer convenience through promotion of W-CDMA services in its early stages, expansion of global roaming services, and research into new services. And by leading the next-generation technology standards, the partnership will become a basis not only for KTF to improve competitiveness in the Korean market, but also as a foundation for global operations.
In the early stage of business collaboration, the two companies have set up the following plans covering a whole range of telecommunication business: Develop a competitive and distinctive international roaming service targeted at travelers moving between Korea and Japan; Search for new global opportunities with the mutual combination of technology and marketing specialty between KTF and DoCoMo; Efficiently construct and stabilize a KTF-based W-CDMA network nationwide; and mutual assistance in building network standards. The two companies plan to maximize synergy creation via the set-up and operation of a supervisory body called the BTCC, whose sole responsibility will be to achieving the above targets. KTF predicts synergy effects from its partnerships to be worth over 1 trillion won in the initial and then additional areas of collaboration. nw

World Phone
KTF has released together with LG Electronics a handset designed to allow roaming services in 82 countries regardless of the type of platform.
So far, SK Telecom has provided roaming services to its cellular phone users in 18 countries.
KTF and LG Electronics announced on January 5 the launch of LG-KW9200, Korea's first so-called World Phone, named due to its service available both under the GSM in Europe and CDMA platforms in Asia and Americas. LG-KW9200 is virtually Korea's first handset to allow automotive roaming services in Europe, KTF officials said.
KTF subscribers will be allowed to receive automotive roaming services in 82 countries if their handsets are inserted with the SIM card. The World Phone is imbedded with the SIM card, and Word Phone users are registered free of charge when they apply for the automotive roaming service.

KTF Co. President-CEO Cho Young-chu