Korea's cellphone rates higher than OECD average

SEOUL, Aug. 11 (Yonhap) -- Most South Korean mobile phone users pay higher
charges than customers in other member nations of the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD), a report showed Tuesday.

According to the biennial OECD report, the average charge for South Korean
low-volume users, or those who make 44 minutes of voice calls, is US$227 per
year, while the OECD average is $171.
The yearly rate for South Korean mid-volume users with 114 minutes of voice calls
averages $340, higher than the OECD median of $330.
However, the annual fee for local high-volume users with 246 minutes of voice
calls amounts to $463, lower than the OECD average of $506, according to the
report.
The report, which analyzes information and communications policies of the 30 OECD
members, compares cellphone rates charged by each member's top two mobile
carriers.
Concerning the OECD report, the Korea Communications Commission, South Korea's
telecom regulator, admitted the country's mobile phone rates are relatively
higher than those of other members.
The telecom watchdog said it will urge South Korea's three mobile phone operators
-- SK Telecom Co., KT Corp. and LG Telecom Ltd. -- to voluntarily lower their
charges.
South Korea boasts one of the world's highest mobile subscription rates, with
about 93 percent of its population of 48.6 million population using cell phones.
(END)