저작권자 © Korea IT Times 무단전재 및 재배포 금지
WiBro's limitations
Combination product possible, offering mobile phone, broadband Internet, WiBro, etc
Despite the significance of WiBro's commercialization in Korea for the first time globally, when it was launched on June 30, it is revealing limitations in no small numbers with terminal prices more expensive than expected. Also, the charge structure and its terminal condition whose service connection equipment is merely one kind (PCMCIA card) overlap.
Accordingly, experts pinpoint that the PCMCIA card price closing in upon 200,000 won (around $210) must be lowered along with cutting usage charges, needless to say that strategy contents to retrieve cost burden must be offered.
What's more, these experts advise that initial market formation would be advanced fairly after terminals such as PDA, PMP to say nothing of a cellular phone become more diversified.
As an important variable for market formation among such circumstances, a possibility of a combination product that sells easier by combining high-speed Internet, mobile communication, VoIP with WiBro, is emerging rapidly.
Because combination product's permission can become a direct impetus for WiBro market activation in that this means a certain level's charge discount beyond a dimension to offer by binding several services merely.
What the Ministry of Information & Communication (MIC) is pushing forward a specialized charge system for WiBro activation or notifies to permit combination product, is adding its authenticity.
In the case of KT, a combination product such as mobile communication (PCS resale)+WiBro, high-speed Internet as well as Netspot+WiBro, and VoIP+WiBro etc. is possible.
SK Telecom is a little disadvantaged in that the company does not possess heterogeneous services to combine like KT. However, a combination product with its 3.5G mobile communication (HSDPA) is expected to show more competitiveness than KT in that it fits the company's strategy as mobile communication business provider.
In the case of SK Telecom, the company regards the coming 12 months as a test period though the company began WiBro commercial service along with KT on June 30, this year.
Eventually, SK Telecom's combination product is expected to offer a dual strategy in which uses HSDPA on the move, whereas in a specific area, the company provides Internet connection service with WiBro.