By Lee Ji-yoon



KT Corp., the nation’s largest fixed-line operator, said Thursday that it will limit the Internet access of smart TVs from Friday, urging TV makers like Samsung and LG to pay the costs for network use.

“The decision is aimed at protecting a majority of Internet users and preventing (smart TVs) from distorting the market system,” said Kim Hyo-sil, executive vice president of KT’s smart network policy task force.

Following the announcement, smart TV watchers who are subscribing KT’s high-end Internet cannot use the Internet via their TV’s Web browser as well as services like video-on-demand and games starting Friday.

“Compared to conventional PCs, smart TVs, equipped with high-definition 3D viewing quality, cause heavy data traffic. If the fast adoption of smart TVs continues, there is also possibility of network blackout,” the official said.

According to KT, if smart TVs dominate the network, the data speed of other Internet users could get 265 times slower to the extent that Web surfing is almost impossible.

In a report published last year, KT predicted that the number of smart TVs could more than triple by 2013 while the nation’s data traffic could increase about four times overall.

Currently, the sales of smart TVs are estimated at about 1 million units in Korea. Of them, some 100,000 TV sets are believed to have offered smart TV features.

The nation’s telecom companies KT, SK Broadband and LG Uplus have continued related discussions with TV makers, including Samsung, LG, Sony and Apple, over the past year. However, electronics companies showed little interest.

With other two telecom carriers yet to announce their own measures, KT plans to continue talks with TV makers for service resumption.

“In order to solve the fundamental issues, TV makers should pay proper costs for their network use like other Internet-based telephony operators and IPTV providers,” said the KT official.

About the KT’s decision, local electronics giants Samsung and LG said that they would come up with follow-up measures after looking into the situation in order to prevent consumers from getting

(jylee@heraldcorp.com)



caption:

Kim Hyo-sil, executive vice president of KT’s smart network policy task force, speaks during a news conference at the company’s press room in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, on Thursday. Yonhap News