SK Telecom, the nation’s largest mobile operator, announced Thursday a set of new price plans that promise unlimited voice calls among its subscribers and free text messaging for all smartphone users.

The company also unveiled a monthly data scheme that allows its Long Term Evolution subscribers to share networks with up to two mobile devices free of charge. Until now, users had to pay 9,000 won monthly per device.

The new plans came as the market No. 1 player pledged to put more emphasis on product and service innovation in competing with other telecom carriers rather than relying on offering heavy handset subsidies to customers. 

“Our new price plans are aimed at offering fundamental solutions to excessive mobile subsidies, an issue that has become a social problem more recently,” the company said in a statement.

“Our differentiated benefits for subscribers are expected to help stabilize the overheated market.”

The government has hinted at taking tougher actions to curb excessive subsidy competition among the nation’s three mobile operators.

The three ― SK Telecom, KT Corp. and LG Uplus Corp. ― have already been fined billions of won in addition to undergoing business suspensions for dolling out excessive subsidies to attract subscribers.

Under the new schemes, SKT also predicted it could improve the profit structure for the soaring data service business, even though it has abandoned the thinning profit margin from conventional voice-call services.

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)