KTF Ushers in Full-Fledged
Video Calling Era

Becomes the world's 1st company to complete a nationwide HSDPA network

KTF Co., the nation's second largest mobile carrier, has launched a nationwide High-Speed Downlink Packet Access Service (HSDPA) under the brand "Show." "On March 1st, the days of voice calling are gone, and a revolutionary era of video calling across the nation is ushered in,"KTF CEO Cho Young-chu declared in his meeting with media people on February 28. KTF's lead in video calling will make history by repositioning itself as the No. 1 carrier in the domestic mobile market, he noted.
KTF President Cho said KTF became the first company to provide HSDPA services covering 99 percent of the nation's population.
KTF has created a nationwide HSDPA network and improved the quality of services simultaneously for one and half years after commercialization of HSDPA services, representing another feat Korea has made in the nation's mobile communication technology prowess to the world. In addition it has surpassed the coverage of existing CDMA services. The establishment of the single HSDPA network guarantees uniformed,
high-quality services across the nation, compared to the existing CDMA network, offering different levels of data services according to each region.
The nationwide HSDPA services are expected to bring about extensive changes in the Korean mobile communications industry and the lifestyle of the general public, KTF and industry officials predict. The Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM)-type network buildup is forecast to serve as a catalyst to boost exports of handsets, content and network equipment and the nation's competitive edge, they said. The general use of video-oriented high-quality multimedia communications is likely to bring about revolutionary changes of communication styles, which primarily rely on voice.
NATIONWIDE HSDPA SERVICES HAVE A WIDE RANGE OF SPILL-OVER EFFECTS. The spill-over effects of the nationwide HSDPA services for related industries are enormous. According to the IT 839 Strategy, unveiled by the Ministry of Information and Communication last April,
the nationwide coverage of WCDMA/HSDPA services is estimated at 5.3 trillion won in service production, 2.7 trillion won in added value inducing effects and about 8 trillion won in the creation of new value.
Consumers'convenience will likely be improved. The adoption of the GSM mode will not only enable economies of scale, thus lowering handset prices, equipment investment unit prices and bringing abut call rate reductions, caused by an increase in the number of users, but also offer such differentiated services as video calling, high-speed internet services and global roaming callers have never experienced, thus enriching people's communication lifestyle and forming a virtuous cycle of invigorating next-generation communication services.
PUT NEW WINE INTO NEW WINESKIN: NEW CONCEPT OF WCDMA. KTF plans to place an advert featuring the new brand "SHOW"based on the motif "death and birth"in mid-April. The advertisement is aimed at symbolizing customer's communication style change into new and exciting communications through HSDPA services that enable image calling, high-speed data processing and global roaming, departing from the existing CDMA with voice-oriented and low-speed data transmission.
The brand "SHOW"will offer such differentiated services as multi-channel video conference, video chatting, video live broadcasting and Video Ring to You and W2P video telephony.
IT will present SHOW Video, a high-quality video, MMS Plus, a high-quality multimedia messaging, and high-quality music.
The new brand will enable Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM)-based transportation, security, membership, credit card, securities services, video-based m-Education and GPS services, phone messages and directory.
Consumers will be also allowed to utilize video, voice and data communication as well as global roaming services via their identical handset numbers abroad the same way as they do in Korea. Global roaming services, now available in about 50 countries, including Europe and Japan, will be expanded to bring the number of roaming service countries to 100 by June.
KFT will unveil Single Band Single Mode (SBSM) handsets in exclusive use of SHOW services and contents. A total of 10 SBSM mobile handsets, including Samsung Electronics'SPH-W2500. LG Electronics'LG-KH1300 and KTFT EV-W100 will be released by the end of the first half of the year. The number of handsets for exclusive use of HSDPA services will increase to 30 by the end of this year.
Starting March 5, customers will be given up to 300,000 won in subsidies to ease their financial burden.
KTF plans to offer 25 kinds of SHOW call rates to help its clients reduce the burden from calling charges. KTF decided to lower video call rates from 100 won per 10 seconds to 36 won, about 70 percent lower than its rivals. nw

KTF's video calling service brand "SHOW. (right) KTF CEO Cho Young-chu