Developing Telecoms | Two Koreas get phone link

24 May 2012

Regional Trends

LATEST NEWS:

WACS launch will boost capacity – and connectivity – in South Africa Lat Am businesses booming as Europe lags behind for international operators 100G technology makes its debut in Central America Free conference calling now available in Israel Internet-free mobile Facebook, email and online chat apps platform launches... Indian telco giant taking steps into Brazil Green power solutions provider spreads into South Asia Cable agreement to bolster international connectivity in Iraq Lat Am giant looks to Netherlands to boost European footprint CSP unifying mediation systems across four Central American countries Thai operator secures wireless distribution agreement Financial services project reaching out to millions of Africans Fibre investment on the way in Algeria Android tablets gaining popularity in Southeast Asia Bharti seeking JV takeover as profits slide How an Alternative Approach to SIM Card Provisioning Helps Operators Cure t... Solar-powered learning initiative takes off in Uganda GSMA voices criticism of Indian licensing proposals Enhanced mobile broadband deploying across three Baltic countries Market developments lay the foundation for future growth in Iraq India Feels More Shockwaves from the So-called ‘2G Scandal' Overpriced broadband faces fibre challenge in Angola First commercial 4G services go live in Croatia VimpelCom sells Vietnamese assets TRAI advocates new operators entering 2G auctions Romania’s first MVNE launching imminently Indian tax change could provoke legal action from Vodafone Mobile growth slows in Iran as penetration reaches saturation point Thailand close to finalising 3G auction process Internet Exchange Points Spur Internet Growth in Emerging Markets Incoming fibre boosts investment prospects for Burundi 3G on the way in Djibouti, but competition is required Fibre, not privatisation, could be the answer for Africa’s fixed-line opera...

Two Koreas get phone link

Tuesday, 10 January 2006 15:06 | Alec Barton

Attention: open in a new window.

North and

South Korea'

s first-ever telephone link, connecting the South with the North's Kaesong Industrial Complex, has led to

South Korea

lobbying for a massive expansion of the service.

But the key question is whether the US and North Korea will overcome their long standing concerns and agree to expansion of the link. If so, the current basic telephony service could be developed to deliver high-speed Internet access and mobile telephony services.

Key player will be Korea Telecom (KT), which runs the fixed-line link to Kaesong . KT has already had its share of radical change, having been fully privatised in 2002.

It faces two obstacles - the nod from the North and assent from America . The former is always cautious about opening up the country to the outside world, and from its point of view any such link will require substantial monitoring. The latter has to satisfy itself that export administration regulations allow for the transfer of both Internet infrastructure and of computers and telecoms gear which can be converted for military use and which contain 10% US technology or parts.

KT starts from a position of strength as South Korea 's main high-speed Internet carrier and number two in CDMA mobile. Optical fibre was extended to Kaesong last July. And yet KT still needs a licence from Pyongyang and, from the USA , the right to export the requisite components to the North.

In KT's favour is the fact that as only about 10% of the link's capacity is now being used for telephone links the remaining 90% can provide high-speed Internet for little further investment.

More info: