Wireless Internet May Be Available on Buses at Cheaper Prices Soon

KT will install the “Egg” to change buses, subways and cruise ships into WiFi hotspots

Starting the fourth quarter of the year, subway and bus passengers in the Seoul and other major metropolitan areas will be allowed to have wireless access for affordable fees. It means that people on the move using mass transportation means can log onto the Internet via WiFi.
The Nexus One phone, also dubbed “Google Phone,” will be sold through KT from June, and KT will team up with Samsung Electronics, Intel and others to establish a joint venture using WiBro, a wireless broadband service.
KT Chairman Lee Suck-chae disclosed these steps during a meeting with reporters on May 31 on the occasion of the first anniversary of the merger of KT and its affiliated company KTF. Lee said, “We’ve decided to build up an environment in which people will be able to enjoy wireless Internet services at affordable prices on representative mass transportation means ― buses and subway cars.” To this end, the Egg, the WiMax to WiFi hotspot that connects the WiBro network, will be installed in buses, subway cars, cruise ships and at bus stops on a step-by-step basis. In particular, public places will be fitted with the Egg for public use capable of connecting many more people than the Egg for individuals’ use (capable of connecting up to seven people at one time).
KT President Pyo Hyun-myung said, “It will make a cruise ship, a bus or a subway car a moving WiFi zone.” KT plans to advance its plan to build an additional 27,000 WiFi zones to the third quarter of this year instead of year end, he added. Like the QOOK & SHOW zones, clients who have signed up with the price system exclusive for KT’s smart phones or a separate one for wireless Internet services will be able to have wireless connectivity in the upcoming WiFi zones, to be created in buses, subways and cruise ships.
KT plans to release Nexus One, fitted with the Android operating system, through online marketing channels in mid June and via ordinary dealers in July, he said. Nexus One is the smart phone fitted with Froyo, the latest version of the Android operating system, and a 3.7-inch AMOLED screen designed by Google and manufactured by HTC of Taiwan.
KT plans to introduce a unified customer membership and mileage program combining the existing fixed line customers and mobile clients and expand the number of its franchise stores from the current 7,000 to 12,500.
Lee said, “A 100 billion won fund will be raised to foster the content and software industries, and we will invest in platforms, education contents for preschoolers and technologies for fabricating contents for interactive 3D.”
KT will establish an association related to the wholesale World Application Community (WAC), a projected super-app store, in July and launch commercial services next February.
Within June, KT said, it will establish the tentatively named WiBro Investment Company (WIC) designed to boost the implementation of WiBro projects with Samsung Electronics and Intel as major strategic investors and three Korean financial companies as financial investors.
Lee said, “A WiBro network will be built to cover 84 cities, accounting for 83 percent of the nation’s total area, and the existing bandwidth of 8.75MHz will be changed to a 10MHz service network considered to be more preferable for international roaming services.” nw

(left) KT Chairman Lee Suck-chae reveals his business plans during a meeting with reporters on the occasion of the first anniversary of the merger of KT and its affiliate KTF on May 31. Nexus One, fitted with the Android operating system, is to be put on the market in June.