The Ministry of Science and ICT said Wednesday it will open up public Wi-Fi networks in case of network outages to help citizens gain access to basic telecommunication services.

The decision came two months after KT Corp., a major South Korean telecom operator, suffered a nationwide network outage of services due to a routing error in the process of upgrading its equipment.

The outage crippled businesses, including schools, restaurants and other facilities, for over an hour on Oct. 25.

The government plans to provide Wi-Fi network under the name "Public WiFi Emergency" in regions affected by the outage once a telecommunication warning is issued, the science ministry said.

The ministry said it will also foster cooperation among telecom operators, including SK Telecom and LG Uplus, to build a backup system that allows users to gain access to the internet via third-party wired networks. (Yonhap)