HSDPA Services in Korea Set to Start in Early 2006
July 15, 2005
After meetings with representatives of SK Telecom and KTF, the Korean Ministry of Information and Communications announced that a WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) network will be completed before the end of 2005, after which HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) services are set to begin in March and April 2006. In the first half of 2005 SK Telecom spent 550 billion Won to buy equipment for HSDPA services in order to put up a network for 23 cities, including Seoul and Pusan. In the second half of 2005 it expects to invest another 50 billion Won, and in the first half of 2006 it plans to introduce terminals for HSDPA services. KTF invested 50 billion Won in the first half of 2005 to establish a network in Seoul and 16 other cities, and it plans to invest another 250 billion Won in the second half of 2005.