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To: S100 who wrote (81595)	9/27/2000 1:18:51 AM
From: S100	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 152472

SK welcomes possible delay in 3G service; But Korea Telecom says a delay of more 6 months is unacceptable The recent indication by the Ministry of Information and Communication that the 3G (third-generation mobile telecom) service here could be delayed has met with varied responses from the three wireless operators that are bidding for 3G licenses. SK Telecom, the dominant wireless carrier in the current 2G market which stands to gain from deferring investment in 3G, welcomed the news. "The delay would give equipment makers time to develop W-CDMA (wideband code division multiple access) systems. There is no need for early deployment of IMT-2000 which requires huge investments, particularly at this point when the economy is experiencing a downturn," said SKT spokesperson. With all operators claiming they would deploy a W-CDMA network, local equipment makers have been arguing that a 3G service launch in May 2002, in time for the 2002 World Cup Soccer, would rely heavily on imported systems. Leading equipment makers such as Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Electronics Industries argue that they will not be able to develop W-CDMA products to meet that deployment schedule. The IS95-C service which will be introduced here next month should be able to provide services very similar to 3G in the meantime, according to SKT. At Korea Telecom (KT), the response is more cautious. "Delays of less than six months could be acceptable if domestic equipment can be developed within that time frame," said a high-ranking KT official. Six months should be sufficient for local equipment makers to catch up in developing W-CDMA systems, he projected, indicating that a delay of more than six months would be unacceptable for the service provider. LG, which claims to have reached advanced stages of W-CDMA system development, wants the 3G service to kick off as originally planned. Meantime, it remains to be seen if the ministry will actually set the 3G deployment date, pushing it back from May 2002. Information and Communication Minister Ahn Byung-yub recently said, "There has never been a firm date," hinting that 3G service could come later than 2002. Updated: 09/27/2000 by Kim Hoo-ran Staff reporter koreaherald.co.kr