S. Korea to seek wider use of WiBro, DMB mobile services
SEOUL, Feb. 8 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government will ramp up efforts to promote the use of mobile Internet and broadcasting services this year, a top communications policymaker said Wednesday.

"More efforts will be made to commercialize the mobile Internet service WiBro and digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB)," Information Minister Chin Dae-je told reporters.

WiBro and DMB are two major mobile services that the ministry has been seeking to foster. Commercial DMB service kicked off last year for the first time in the world.

"Considering South Korea's significant headway in the information technology sector, now is the time to bring the benefits of technological development to our daily life," he said, unveiling his ministry's policy plan for this year.

According to the plan, the ministry will launch a mobile Internet service using high-speed downlink packet access and promote the broader use of radio frequency identification.

A focus will also be on investing in wideband code division multiple access technology and developing affordable robots.

The ministry will designate what it calls "mobile special districts" by 2010 to provide an optimized testing place for mobile technologies developed by local wireless operators.

"In the case of global system for mobile communications (GSM), local companies have to go overseas to test their GSM-based mobile sets since GSM is not in service here." Chin said. "For them, the special districts will provide a good testing ground."
On the issue of the digital divide, he said the government will provide support for the underprivileged and low-income populations to have more access to the Internet.

"There are approximately 10 million people who do not have access to the Internet, half of whom cannot use the Internet even if they wanted to," Chin said.

As a way to tackle the digital divide, the minister said the government will set aside 43.7 billion won (US$45 million) this year, much of which will used to provide needed education and equipment.

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