Baek Byung-yeul is a journalist at The Korea Times focused on cultural content, including films and cultural events in South Korea. You can contact him at baekby@koreatimes.co.kr to share your insights.
KT to export 5G technology, service to Taiwan
Park Hyun-jin, KT's senior vice president and head of the Customer Strategy Business Unit, shakes hands with T.Y. Yin, head of Consumer Business Unit of Far EasTone Telecommunications, after signing a memorandum of understanding for 5G technology collaboration during a meeting via KT's virtual meeting platform Engage, Tuesday. / Courtesy of KT
By Baek Byung-yeul
By Baek Byung-yeul
KT will export its fifth-generation (5G) network technology and related service to a Taiwanese telecommunications company in a move to generate a new growth engine utilizing the next-generation network technology, the mobile carrier said Wednesday.
The company said it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Tuesday with the Taiwanese mobile carrier Far EasTone Telecommunications (FET) to jointly develop 5G services and related content.
“FET has promoted the establishment of a strategic cooperative relationship with KT, the world's first mobile carrier to commercialize 5G network service, to expand its presence as a leading 5G service operator in Taiwan,” KT said. FET is set to launch its commercial 5G service this summer.
With the partnership, KT seeks to boost its presence as a leading 5G service operator by providing its 5G-based video conferencing service, original media content and internet comics to FET and helping the Taiwanese carrier launch its 5G roaming service early, the company said, adding digital content will be distributed through FET's digital content platform “friDay.”
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic issue, the MOU ceremony was conducted via KT's virtual meeting platform Engage. “KT's senior vice president and head of Customer Strategy Business Unit Park Hyun-jin, from Seoul, met with FET's Consumer Business Unit head T.Y. Yin, from Taipei, at a virtual space and signed the MOU,” the company said.
“Combining KT's knowhow for 5G service management with FET's customer base, the two companies will promote mutual growth and new profit opportunities,” Park said. “By closely collaborating with FET, the two will extend the scope of the partnership.”
KT's counterpart FET said it will take advantage of the partnership as an opportunity to attract more subscribers to its 5G service.
“Through extensive partnership with KT, FET aim to upgrade about 20 percent of our LTE subscribers to 5G in the first year of commercial 5G,” Yin said.