KTF, China Mobile to Offer Roaming Service
By Kim Deok-hyun
Staff Reporter
KTF, the country's second largest mobile carrier, said yesterday it has agreed with
China Mobile, the biggest mobile operator in China, to offer an international roaming
service as well as to share technology and cooperate in the mobile phone business.
Under the agreement, China Mobile's up-to-100 million subscribers and KTF's some 9.6
million customers can make their wireless calls with their own mobile phone numbers.
At Beijing, the two companies signed a memorandum of understanding for the bilateral
roaming between KTF's Executive Vice President Hong Won-pyo and China Mobile's
Vice President Lu Xiangdong.
Following a test run in March, the two companies plan to launch a commercial service
from April, KTF said.
Inbound China Mobile's customers can use their mobile phone numbers in South Korea,
by exchanging their subscriber identity module (SIM) cards on KTF's mobile phones.
KTF will offer the exchange service for Chinese visitors at Incheon International
Airport.
When KTF subscribers visit the mainland, customers also can use their numbers in
China by slotting the SIM card into roaming-enabled phones, which will be leased by
the mobile carrier for free.
At the end of last year, China Mobile, launched in April of 2000, had 102 million mobile
subscribers, based on Europe-backed global system for mobile communication (GSM)
technology.
KTF expected some 50,000 Chinese visitors to use the international roaming service,
generating five billion won in sales in 2002.
Meanwhile, KTF has signed the international roaming service with 37 mobile carriers in
30 countries. Before the opening of the World Cup soccer finals in late May, KTF said
it would expand the partnership to 50 mobile operators worldwide.
kdh@koreatimes.co.kr
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