Designation of high-speed internet as a universal service and mandatory provision
| Check subscription status to promote user rights,
Subscription-restricted services and mandatory mileage notification

On the 11th, the Ministry of Science and ICT will promulgate the Enforcement Decree of the Telecommunications Business Act, which designates ultra-high-speed Internet as a universal service and mandates subscription status inquiry, subscription restriction services, and mileage notification, which is an economic benefit.
The designation of ultra-high-speed Internet as a universal service will take effect on January 1, 2020, and the mandatory subscription status inquiry, subscription restriction service, and mileage notification will take effect on June 12.

Since the introduction of high-speed Internet in 1998, the government has implemented loan support programs to encourage the market to build its own high-speed Internet network, and has provided high-speed Internet to small rural and fishing villages with fewer than 50 households in 13,473 regions through the Rural Broadband Subscriber Network (BcN) project.

However, users in high-cost areas such as rural areas are still unable to use high-speed internet due to service providers' reluctance to provide it.

Accordingly, by designating ultra-high-speed Internet as a universal service (landline, public telephone, etc.) that is a basic telecommunication service for users, the designated service providers are obligated to provide it, and it is guaranteed that users who want it can receive ultra-high-speed Internet anywhere.

Future notices will impose obligations on buildings that do not have access to high-speed internet at a certain speed., plans to provide higher speeds compared to overseas countries such as the US (average speed of 10 Mbps) and the UK (expected speed of up to 10 Mbps).

In addition, we will strengthen the protection of users' rights by making it mandatory to check subscription status and notify mileage.

Despite the mandatory implementation of an identity theft prevention service that notifies users of telecommunication service contracts under their name via text message and mail, identity theft continues to occur.

In addition, the major telecommunications service providers were mandated to provide a subscription status inquiry service (for local/long-distance calls, internet phone/internet, and mobile communication providers with sales of 30 billion won or more) that allows users to check their telecommunications services, and a subscription restriction service (for mobile communication providers) that allows users to restrict telecommunications service contracts in advance.

Mileage reporting is also becoming mandatory. Users of 2G and 3G feature phones from the three major mobile carriers are unable to use their accumulated mileage due to lack of interest and other reasons, resulting in the mileage continuously expiring.

Accordingly, key information such as mileage accumulation and usage methods will be provided on the telecommunications company's website at all times and through monthly billing statements, and users with no usage history within a year will be notified by text message on a quarterly basis.