SKT’s first Android smartphone enters US market
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: MotoRoi, the first Android-powered device from US vendor Motorola, has been launched by SK Telecom. The handset is a full touch-screen, 3.7-inch device featuring an eight mega pixel camera with Xenon flash and a 720p HD camcorder, 8GB of storage, HDMI capabilities and has Wi-Fi capability.
According to Bae Joon-dong, SKT’s senior VP, the MotoRoi is a different model from the Droid (Motorola’s Android smartphone in the US) and it will be launched in the United States around March. The cost of the device will be about 900,000 ($801.16), however, S K Telecom plans to heavily subsidize it.
Samsung’s Omnia2 smartphone has already been subsidized by SK telecom smartphone in order to make it more attractive in the wake of the launch of the iPhone 3GS by rival KT in late-October. SKT has also planned to launch 15 smartphones in 2010, of which 12-13 will include the Android OS.
Further investments in Vietnam cancelled by SK Telecom
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Low profit and low subscriber growth made ¬South Korea’s SK Telecom to cease investing in its Vietnamese subsidiary. However, the company’s S-Fone partnership with Saigon Post andTelecommunication Corporation (SPT) will remain intact but S-Fone’s plans to deploy a 3G network will be endangered by the move.
An agreement to convert the cooperation into a formal joint venture is reported to be linked to the decision. This will be followed by selling a stake to South Korea-based private equity fund, Rutter Associates. With around 2.5 million customers by the end of last September, the operator has a market share of just 2.5%.
China Unicom buying back 3.8% stake held by SK Telecom.
China Unicom Ltd is to buy back a 3.8 percent stake held by SK Telecom for about US$1.29 billion.
According to China Unicom, SK telecom will sell it back 899.75 million shares it holds in China Unicom.
“After the share repurchase, China Unicom will be pleased to maintain the sound cooperation partnership with SKT,” China Unicom Chairman Chang Xiaobing said in a statement.
The repurchased shares will be cancelled and the total shares of China Unicom will be reduced from 23.768 billion to about 22.868 billion. (USD= 7.75 HKD)
iPhone arrives in Korea. SKT and KT Corp discussing potential partnerships with Apple.
South Korea’s telecommunications regulator has given the green flag to apple to launch the iPhone in Korea.
The Korea Communications Commission made an exception to a rule that requires cellphones sold in the country to use domestic technology for location-based services. The commission’s action comes after months of consumer pressure.
This move is likely to create a stir among the dominant domestic manufacturers – Samsung and LG.
This development comes a month after Apple managed to clear its entry in China too. China Unicom, Apple’s partner in China will start selling the iPhone in the fourth quarter.
Lauren Kim, a spokesperson for SK Telecom Co. and Yeom Woo-jong, a spokesperson for KT Corp both admitted to being in discussion with Apple.
KCC asks mobile operators to slash call charges (South Korea)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Choi See-joong, the Chairman of South Korean regulator, has reportedly asked mobile operators to lower call charges on the back of an OECD report highlighting the country as one of the world’s most expensive for mobile phone use .
As per his recommendations, a similar pledge by South Korean President Lee Myung-bak to cut mobile rates by 20%. The regulator is considering a variety of methods to force rate reductions, including the banning of handset subsidies to promote cheaper call rates, expanding pre-paid tariffs and most notably allowing the introduction of mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs). However, all three telcos are not in favour of this. SK Telecom has claimed that government interference could have a negative effect on competitiveness in the wireless sector.
