The era of 10-times faster mobile service opens up

``The third generation mobile service, which is 10-times faster than now, has begun!``

On May 1, KT Freetel, LC Telecom, and other PCS business groups began ``CDMA2000 1X” (IS-95C) service.

SK Telecom will introduce services into the 81 different cities as soon as it completes its market research in Seoul and other major cities.

The technology is promising a speedy data transmission such as wireless internet service.

KT Freetel, merger between Korea Telecom (016) and KT M. com, targets the consumers in Seoul. KT plans for the expansion of its market into other major cities aiming for 40 percent increase in market possession in the beginning of July.

LC Telecom also plans to recover its downed-market of cell phone by improving CDMS 2000 service. LG Telecom already introduced services into the 97 cities and will expand its market into the small cities in July.

CDMA 2000 1X is 10-times faster than CDMA (code division multiple access) promising a speedy data transmission.

As the new service enables consumers to do an internet search, color graphic transmission, an exchange of data and images, it is called ``the third generation mobile service.``

Although this service has been called the 2.5 generation CDMA, which is faster than IMT-2000 service, it is classified as the third generation CDMA according to ITU.

freewill@donga.com