The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    14 injured as escalator reverses at Sunae Station in Bundang

  • 3

    Gov't to launch intensive crackdown against foreigners committing drug crimes

  • 5

    Korea falls to Italy in FIFA U-20 World Cup semifinals

  • 7

    Netflix's new original 'Bloodhounds' to deliver cathartic action

  • 9

    INTERVIEWSpaceX's Starlink in Kyiv is wake-up call for Seoul

  • 11

    'Leaving Las Vegas' director Mike Figgis puts Korea in spotlight in new film

  • 13

    Billy Graham Seoul Crusade celebrates 50th anniversary

  • 15

    Home gardening boom inspires plant adoption, specialized care services for leafy companions

  • 17

    Canada wildfires shroud New York in apocalyptic haze

  • 19

    Tom Cruise to visit Seoul on June 29 to promote 'Mission: Impossible 7'

  • 2

    RM to attend Seoul festival to mark BTS' 10th anniv.

  • 4

    Dog meat traders condemn first lady, animal rights groups' push for ban

  • 6

    Ad or song?: Coca-Cola Zero ad featuring NewJeans becomes marketing blueprint

  • 8

    Robot to conduct orchestra for 1st time in Korea

  • 10

    PHOTOSSubway escalator accident

  • 12

    Dollar remittance, foreign exchange rules to be eased

  • 14

    NATO chief to chair emergency Ukraine meeting over dam

  • 16

    Yoon's labor reform drive sputters as umbrella union exits talks

  • 18

    Korean businesses seek tougher punishments for industrial espionage

  • 20

    White Cube to open space in Seoul

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
Sat, June 10, 2023 | 03:47
Companies
Korean Mobile Rates Most Expensive
Posted : 2009-07-29 18:22
Updated : 2009-07-29 18:22
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link


SKT 3rd Most Costly Among Global Carriers

By Kim Tong-hyung
Staff Reporter

The Korea Consumer Agency (KCA) Wednesday reported that Koreans paid the most among wireless users in 15 countries last year that had similar levels of mobile use. They included the United States, United Kingdom, France, Singapore and Hong Kong.

The KCA reported that based on mobile rates charged by the top carrier among selected OECD countries and Hong Kong and Singapore, SK Telecom was the third most expensive. Japan's NTT DoCoMo topped the list, followed by the Netherlands' KPN Mobile.

For international roaming charges, SK Telecom was the second most expensive among the 10 carriers on inbound calls to Korea.

The only positive note for Korean consumers was that they were paying the least for text messaging services.

The survey was made using purchasing power parity (PPP), a calculation method that tracks the cost of goods and services across countries. The report relied on several different sources, including the "Global Wireless Matrix" published by Merrill Lynch.

"Like other equipment-based industries, consumer prices for mobile services start out expensive at first, but tend to fall after carriers recover their early investment," said KCA official Lee Sang-shik.

"Oddly, the situation in Korea is just the opposite. It is perhaps inaccurate to say that Koreans pay the least for text messaging, as many carriers in other countries provide limited amounts of text messaging per month for free," he said.

The voice rates charged by Korean carriers were the 10th most expensive among 15 countries with similar wireless use in 2004, but rose to seventh in 2006 and second in 2007 before topping the list last year.

The 15 countries, which included Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Israel, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden, represented markets where the average wireless user spent at least 180 minutes per month talking on their phones.

When the numbers are converted under the PPP method, Koreans spent around $0.1443 per minute for voice over handsets, compared to the $0.1254 spent by Britons, who came in second. French mobile users spent around $0.1209 per minute, followed by Austrians at $0.1187 per minute.

American mobile users spent $0.0500 per minute for voice, which was the least among the 15 countries.

"Consumer rights advocates said that Korean wireless carriers are over-charging subscribers," Lee said.

"According to the Korea Communications Commission (KCC), about 44 percent of consumer complaints on mobile services were related to service charges."

The OECD reported last year that Koreans were spending more of their household income on telecommunications services than any other OECD member state.

Telecommunications charges accounted for 4.81 percent of Korean household expenses, compared to the sub-3 percent average of the 26 OECD member states.

The report drew angry reactions from SK Telecom, which controls more than 50 percent of the country's mobile users, and KT, the runner-up carrier.

The operators claimed that a simple comparison of rates per minute numbers is meaningless when mobile users in other countries often use more than one handset.

"The mobile phone penetration rate of Korea was just a tick below 94 percent. In comparison, Greece's mobile penetration rate is over 200 percent," said a KT official.

"In Korea, the number of used handsets and the population of mobile users are consistent. But in other nations, users can use more than one phone by just switching SIM cards."

thkim@koreatimes.co.kr
 
wooribank
Top 10 Stories
1Rising minimum wage burdens small biz owners: survey Rising minimum wage burdens small biz owners: survey
2Resurging household loans pose challenge for BOK's rate policy Resurging household loans pose challenge for BOK's rate policy
3IPO market regains vigor on bullish KOSPI IPO market regains vigor on bullish KOSPI
4SPC bolsters PR activities in US SPC bolsters PR activities in US
5OpenAI explores investment opportunities in Korean startups: Sam AltmanOpenAI explores investment opportunities in Korean startups: Sam Altman
6China reaches out to Korean Assembly to counterweigh Yoon's bet on US China reaches out to Korean Assembly to counterweigh Yoon's bet on US
7Japanese business leaders pledge to support Busan's Expo bidJapanese business leaders pledge to support Busan's Expo bid
8S. Korea may see rise in NK defectors as Pyongyang mulls reopening borders S. Korea may see rise in NK defectors as Pyongyang mulls reopening borders
9Yoon's $40,000 GNI by 2027 goal seems unlikely prospectYoon's $40,000 GNI by 2027 goal seems unlikely prospect
10Hyundai Motor partners with Spider-Man animation to envision future mobility Hyundai Motor partners with Spider-Man animation to envision future mobility
Top 5 Entertainment News
1China's hallyu restrictions likely to continue unless Seoul-Beijing ties improve China's hallyu restrictions likely to continue unless Seoul-Beijing ties improve
2Gang Dong-won, Park Jeong-min team up for Joseon-era thriller 'War and Revolt' Gang Dong-won, Park Jeong-min team up for Joseon-era thriller 'War and Revolt'
3[INTERVIEW] CIX talks about team chemistry, youth theme INTERVIEWCIX talks about team chemistry, youth theme
4Netflix's new original 'Bloodhounds' to deliver cathartic actionNetflix's new original 'Bloodhounds' to deliver cathartic action
5'Leaving Las Vegas' director Mike Figgis puts Korea in spotlight in new film 'Leaving Las Vegas' director Mike Figgis puts Korea in spotlight in new film
DARKROOM
  • Turkey-Syria earthquake

    Turkey-Syria earthquake

  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group