3G - WiBRO

WiBro Globally Recognized as 3G Communication Technology

South Korea's communication technology has gained international recognition, brightening the prospects for its commercialization at home and abroad. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has approved the nation's homegrown mobile Internet technology called WiBro as one of international third-generation (3G) telecommunication standards. The decision was made during the global tech policymaking body's Radio Communications Assembly in Geneva, Thursday.

WiBro, or wireless broadband Internet, has emerged as the sixth global standard for the 3G telecommunication general platform called IMT-2000. WiBro is better known as Mobile WiMax internationally. The international adoption of the technology proves that the nation has made a significant breakthrough in telecommunications. There is no doubt that South Korea has reaffirmed its reputation as a world IT powerhouse. We hope WiBro will have greater opportunity to make inroads into world markets by taking advantage of the ITU's action. It is high time for the government and mobile carriers to step up cooperation to foster WiBro as one of the nation's future growth engines.

We take pride in the fact that South Korea was the first country in the world to develop WiBro technology. The IT giant Samsung Electronics and KT Corp., the nation's fixed-line phone and Internet operator, developed the system in cooperation with the Ministry of Information and Communication, and the state-funded Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI). WiBro is the result of the nation's technological prowess and its strenuous research and development efforts.

WiBro is a technology designed to enable users to log onto high-speed Internet connections even when on the move. The commercialization of the technology is still in its infancy. However, the ITU approval will help promote the use of the technology at home and abroad. WiBro will also have a competitive edge against other communication platforms, including CDMA-2000. And Korean firms can easily advance to the fourth-generation (4G) communications markets by making use of WiBro-related technology.

However, we cannot paint an all too rosy picture. In reality, the use of WiBro is in the doldrums even in South Korea. KT Corp. started commercial WiBro services in Seoul and its surrounding metropolitan areas last year. However, only 67,000 people have signed up for the mobile Internet service. This means its has failed to be a successful business.

Thus, the government, mobile carriers and IT companies will have to make further efforts to refine technology and promote the commercial use of its service. They must strengthen cooperation to make WiBro a success story for South Korean telecommunication technology. It is imperative for the nation to invest more in research and development and double its efforts to commercialize its new technologies.

From Korean Times