KT brings WiBro to cars, shipyards

The convergence of the IT sector with "smokestack" industries such as shipbuilding and automaking are accelerating as businesses seek to boost efficiency and cut costs.

One example is KT, Korea`s top telecom firm, which opened its high-speed wireless internet service WiBro in the dockyard of Hyundai Heavy Industries on Sept. 16.

The service allows workers on the 59.4-million square-meter site to exchange voice, video and data with mobile devices. KT expected its service to enhance productivity of the world`s top shipbuilder by allowing real-time tasking not only at the office but also at the shipyard field. This was the first time for a shipyard to adopt WiBro technology.

"We will strive to combine WiBro technology with various industries to help enhance their competitiveness," Lee Sang-hoon, president of KT, said.

The telecom giant seeks to jumpstart its converged services within the IT sector and with other industries. KT believes that its converged services will lend it momentum, which it needs due to slowing sales from its traditional services.



Converged services are also expected to help the telecom giant expand its presence in the enterprise market, which has higher growth potential than the consumer market.

KT also plans to bring WiBro to cars, agreeing to work with Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group to equip automobiles with WiBro for the first time.

KT and Hyundai plan to combine telematics services with wireless internet services - WiBro, WCDMA and Wi-Fi, allowing users to enjoy internet seamlessly in a fast-moving vehicle.

The WiBro, which enables high-speed downloads of large capacity data while on the move, will allow users to update a navigation map and receive high-quality videos and other multimedia contents. The envisioned high-speed telematics services will be available on car LCD screens and other portable devices such as laptops and Apple`s iPod Touch, KT said.

On Sept. 9, the two companies signed a partnership deal to launch the "WiBro-based automotive service" in 2012 for high-end cars.

"KT will vigorously push for convergence with not only the automotive industry but other various sectors, thus offering new value to customers and achieving its vision to become a global convergence leader," KT vice chairman Suk Ho-ick said.

KT, the No. 2 mobile carrier, also worked with Hyundai to commercialize services that enable remote control and diagnosis of automobiles via handsets in June. This was the first time that such services were commercialized, the operator said.

The "SHOW Hyundai Motor Mobile Service" will allow car drivers to use their cellphones to open and close car doors and trunks, as well as fold and unfold side mirrors as well as checking their engines and gearboxes.

KT also seeks to boost its fixed-line and mobile convergence services after its merger with its mobile unit KTF.

KT has introduced "KT FMC solutions" for enterprise customers, incorporating internet telephony services with mobile phone services.

The services allow employees to make free internet calls from their mobile phones in a company, using Wi-Fi networks. KT introduced its FMC solutions to Samsung Securities and plans to expand the services to other businesses.

"The introduction of KT FMC solutions has helped facilitate communications among executives and employees, raising work efficiency and employee satisfaction," Jang Jae-ho, an official of Samsung Securities, said.

"Not only company costs, but individual employees` telecommunications costs were saved considerably," he said.

KT said its solutions help cut fixed-line telephone rates by 17 percent for companies and mobile phone charges by 13.5 percent for workers.

(hjjin@heraldm.com)



By Jin Hyun-joo