By Kim Tong-hyung
Staff Reporter
KT, the country's biggest telephone company and Internet provider, announced a partnership with the Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail) to establish wireless Internet access zones at train stations.
According to the deal, KT will install Wi-Fi ``hot spots'' at the country's 23 stations for the KTX bullet train services, allowing commuters to access free wireless Internet on their laptop computers, smartphones and other portable devices.
KT, which is also the country's No. 2 mobile telephony carrier, said its Wi-Fi zones at the train stations will also support its new ``Qook & Show'' fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) services. FMC allows users to switch between fixed-lines and mobile networks using a single handset.
KT's fixed-mobile customers could use Wi-Fi-enabled mobile phones to access fixed-line networks when making calls at the train stations, as they do in homes and offices, while accessing wireless networks on the move.
This clearly benefits users, as voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) services charge significantly less for voice minutes than conventional wireless services.
KT will also establish outlets at the five major train stations of Seoul, Yongsan, Daejeon, East Daegu and Busan for customers to test and purchase the latest electronic gadgets that work on KT's fixed-line, mobile and Internet networks.
The company didn't give a date on when the Wi-Fi access zones will be completed.
``The strategic partnership between telecommunications operators and rail service providers will provide users new benefits they never experienced before,'' KT Chairman Lee Suk-chae said in a statement.
KT's 13,000 Wi-Fi "hot zones" around the country currently account for most of the Wi-Fi APs (access points) in the nation. The company plans to expand its Wi-Fi zones to 50,000 or 60,000 by the end of next year, marking its first major expansion since 2005.
thkim@koreatimes.co.kr
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