An LG Uplus subscriber tries out the mVoIP service at a company retailer near City Hall, Seoul, Friday. / Courtesy of LG Uplus

By Cho Mu-hyun

LG Uplus, Korea’s smallest mobile carrier, announced Friday that it plans to allow different amounts of data access to mobile Voice over Internet protocol (mVoIP) services without changing its rates.

Unlike its competitors SK Telecom and KT, which plan a completely separate fee package to allow downsized data memory usable for mVoIP, LG says it will just allow a different amount of access to its previous packages.

The firm says they have turned in its user contract with new clauses to the Korea Communications Commission and met the government agency’s approval.

“Our smartphone subscribers can access mVoIP services without changing their fee package or transferring to a more expensive one,” said the firm in a statement. “They will be able to use the service from the basic data allowance ranging from 30 megabytes to 1.5 gigabytes depending on their packages.”

For long-term evolution smartphones, the company offers eight different kinds of rates, each allowing different data use. The most expensive rate called “LTE 120” allows memory use up to 1.5 gigabytes. The company says 100 megabytes equal 250 minutes of voice calls, and users can potentially use mVoIP for up to 3,840 minutes.

Six packages are currently offered to users for third generation model smartphones, with the premium package called “Smart 94” allowing up to 1 gigabyte of data use.

For users wishing to use more mVoIP than the data given in their price packages, an additional monthly fee of 7,900 won allows near unlimited access of 24 gigabytes more than can be used.

“There are issues such as overloading networks and the decline of profits from voice calls (that the company will face), but we decided to allow the mVoIP service to strengthen user’s comforts and benefits and to continue to lead the LTE market,” said an LG official.