SK Telecom, KT, LG U+ subscribers to have access to basic data on phones after monthly limit expires

Smartphones are displayed at a store in southern Seoul in this file photo from March 11. [YONHAP]

 

Mobile phone users in Korea will have access to basic data, albeit at a reduced speed, even after exhausting their monthly limit, a move that would protect their communication rights, the Ministry of Science and ICT said on Thursday.

 

Under an agreement with the Science Ministry, the country’s top three carriers — SK Telecom, KT and LG U+ — will continue to provide basic access to data at a reduced speed of 400 kilobits per second to all their subscribers who run out of their high-speed data caps, which will enable basic tasks, including texting.

 

 

While the speed is insufficient for data-intensive tasks, such as video streaming, it will allow users to send messages or use map applications, according to the Science Ministry.

 

The ministry said that it will work with the three carriers to implement the agreed-upon changes by the end of June.

 

The new policy is expected to benefit 7.17 million users who currently do not have unlimited data plans, helping them save up to 322.1 billion won ($218.8 million) annually, it added.

 

“In the AI and digital era, data for mobile communication has become a necessity. To ensure everyday communication and basic access to information for everyone, it has become important to enhance their right to access data for communication,” the ministry said in a release.

 

Additionally, the government will require mobile carriers to expand voice and text allowances for users aged 65 and older who are currently subscribed to plans with limited services, benefiting some 1.4 million older adults.

Yonhap