IMT-2000 operator selection standard to be unveiled Friday
koreaherald.co.kr
Updated: 07/05/2000
by Kim Hoo-ran Staff reporter, Korea Herald
The government's policy on IMT-2000 operator selection is to be announced by Information and Communication Minister Ahn Byung-yub tomorrow.
The ministry is scheduled to fine-tune the final selection procedure in a meeting with the ruling Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) this morning before holding a breakfast meeting with a parliamentary standing committee tomorrow. The minister will make the public announcement of the government's final plan after tomorrow's meeting.
"Government's final plan will be announced after consultations with the ruling party and the parliamentary committee," Kim In-shik, the ministry spokesperson said yesterday. He explained that although the plan needs approval by the Information and Telecommunications Policy Council (ITPC) scheduled for Saturday before it is put to a final public hearing Monday, it would be a mere formality. "The minister's announcement tomorrow will be the government's final plan," said the official.
The final plan would also include the government's position on the standard issue, a matter that has become one of intense interest to operators as they carefully monitor the situation, despite having publicly declared they would opt for the W-CDMA (wideband code division multiple access) technology if it were their decision.
Another high-level ministry official said yesterday that while Ahn has emphatically stated there would be no open "government guidance" on technology, the possibility of less public guidance should not be dismissed.
"Ultimately, I see both standards being taken up as businesses seek maximum profit," the official predicted, rejecting the argument put forward by cdma 2000 proponents that adopting the competing W-CDMA technology would result in a considerable delay in the rollout of third-generation mobile communications service, possibly as late as 2003.
"If we leave it up to businesses, they will make rapid progress in the development of W-CDMA technology," he said. |
