Nearly 100,000 people switch mobile carriers following subsidy ban lift: data
Nearly 100,000 people have switched their mobile carriers to a different company in just a few days after a controversial handset subsidy ban was lifted last week, industry data showed Monday. According to the data, 95,233 mobile number portability (MNP) transfers were recorded from Tuesday to Saturday. The government's ban on excessive handset subsidies, in place since 2014, was officially removed Tuesday, opening the door for mobile carriers to offer larger incentives and benefits to attract subscribers. On the first day of the change, 35,131 people switched carriers, a sharp increase from 10,703 the previous day. The daily figure then declined to 19,388 on Wednesday, followed by 13,496, 13,142 and 14,076 in subsequent days. Industry leader SK Telecom saw a net loss of 322 subscribers over the five-day period, while rivals KT and LG Uplus gained a net 522 and 70 new MNP members, respectively. SK Telecom has been struggling with a decline in subscriptions following a major data breach in April. The five-day MNP total remains far higher than the 39,000 transfers recorded during the first f
Jul 28, 2025By Yonhap