3 Posts about '2008/10'
Stagnation of SKT's Growth :: 2008/10/31 00:46
The biggest mobile operator in Korea, SK Telecom announced 57% decline in its third-quarter profit. The higher marketing costs seems to be a root cause of the decline.
SK Telecom has competed with KTF in order to attract customers with WCDMA(3G) service. SK Telecom has maintained its doninant position with market share of over 50%. However, SK Telecom has poured extraordinary marketing cost for attracting 3G service users. Although SK Telecom succeeded to defend its market position against KTF and LG Telecom, the total number of mobile services has not increased. Because most of 3G service users are not new users of mobile service but existing users who only change their mobile service from 2G to 3G.
The penetration rate of Korea's mobile market is already over 90%. Additional growth in the domestic market might be not expected any more except for mobile data service area.
Please refer to the below table regarding SK Telecom's profit.
| (Unit : $Bil) | Q3.2007 | Q4.2008 | Increase Rate |
| Profit | 776.8 | 333.6 | -57% |
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SK Telecom Commercialized WiBro Femtocell. :: 2008/10/27 22:05
SK Telecom announced to develop and commercialize the first WiBro Femtocell. Femtocell is a small sized base station. SK Telecom has already provided WiBro (mobile WiMAX) service in Korea. However, the service has been able to be used at outdoor areas because of limitation of coverage range. SK Telecom announced that the WiBro coverage could be expanded into indoor areas with the Femtocell.
I think that the price of Femtocell is still expensive (around $300). If the price of Femtocell could go down to around $50, Femtocell would contribute to the expansion of WiBro service. Because the function of Femtocell is very similar to Wi-Fi Access Point's. (Even the external formfactor) Customers are able to buy a Wi-Fi AP with only $50. In sum, I think the Femtocell could be provided with around $50 in order to have a competitiveness.
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SK Telecom Opened 'T.um', a Museum for Future IT World. :: 2008/10/10 13:09
SK Telecom opened T.um in early October. It is located in 1st and 2nd floors of SKT's headquarter building. SK Telecom put something innovative regarding Korean IT products and services in T.um. People such as foreigners are able to experience the advanced Korean IT services here.
Also, a Starbucks equipped with advanced technologies was opened in T.um. In this Starbuccks, people are able to order their coffees using a touch screen of each table and pay with their mobile handsets.
The below is a video clip to show T.um. The background music of the below video clip is "SKT's corporate song."
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