'Giga Internet 2.0 Declaration' Provides 'Lifestyle Leisure' through Fast Speed

KT has declared the era of 'Giga Internet 2.0' as the number of Giga Internet subscribers has surpassed 2 million. 'Giga Internet 2.0' aims to provide internet speeds of 1 Gbps or more anywhere in the country.

KT held a press conference at KT Square in Gwanghwamun, Seoul on the 29th and announced that the number of Giga Internet subscribers has exceeded 2 million. It has been 1 year and 11 months since it was first commercialized nationwide on October 20, 2014. The increase in subscribers to KT Giga Internet is gaining momentum over time. It took about 14 months (as of December 2015) to reach 1 million subscribers, but it took about 9 months to increase another million subscribers.

The 2 million Giga Internet subscribers account for approximately 24% of KT's total 8.45 million Internet subscribers (as of July 2016, data from the Ministry of Science and ICT). This means that one out of four KT Internet users uses Giga Internet.

KT will be running a 'Speed Up, Safety Up' promotion starting in October to celebrate surpassing 2 million Giga Internet subscribers. 'Speed Up' will provide users of compact products with speeds of up to 500 Mbps with a free trial of a 1 Gbps product for two months from October to November. In addition, 'Ansim Up' allows subscribers to use the family peace of mind service free of charge for 60 days after applying for the 1Gbps product. KT is also preparing a free gigabit speed trial program for Mega Internet customers.

In addition, we are in discussions with government agencies to provide ‘free gigabit upgrades’ to low-income students designated by the Ministry of Education.

KT has unveiled its 'Giga Internet 2.0' plan to celebrate its 2 million subscribers. The 'Giga Internet 1.0' period of the past two years focused on improving internet speed and stable supply, which had been stagnant for 10 years. The following 'Giga Internet 2.0' aims to increase 'living comfort' by providing 1Gbps speed to anyone without regional or economic restrictions.

'Giga Internet 2.0' is being promoted in four directions: ▲Completion of Giga investment in approximately 27,000 apartment complexes (approximately 9.8 million households) nationwide ▲Commercialization of the 'Giga Wire 2.0' solution that implements 1 Gbps speed even on telephone lines (copper wires) ▲Launch of 'Giga WiFi 2.0', a wireless LAN (Wi-Fi) service that provides up to 1.7 Gbps ▲'10 Gbps Internet' that is 100 times faster than 100 Mbps Internet.

Giga Internet is being evaluated as having entered the 'Early Majority' stage beyond the 'Early Adopter' stage. It is noteworthy that the expansion of Giga Internet is not only converting existing subscribers but also creating new demand. The number of KT Internet subscribers, which was around 8 million in the first half of 2014, is expected to reach 8.5 million as of September.

Giga Internet is not only increasing the competitiveness of the ultra-high-speed Internet business, but also of other fields such as wireless, UHD TV, and the Internet of Things (IoT). This can be confirmed by the 20%p higher combination rate compared to the existing 100Mbps Internet product, with mobile being used at a rate twice as high, IPTV at a rate 1.5 times higher, and Wi-Fi routers at a rate more than 5 times higher.

Giga Internet has resulted in improved quality satisfaction for users. Since the launch of Giga Internet, quality complaints regarding high-speed Internet have plummeted by more than 33%. The cancellation rate of Internet service has also dropped from 1.3% to 1.1% per month. It is interpreted that the Internet quality itself is good, and related products such as Giga LTE and Giga Wi-Fi have increased satisfaction with quality. The high satisfaction with KT Giga Internet was also proven by the fact that it ranked first in the high-speed Internet sector in the '2016 Korea Quality Satisfaction Index (KS-QEI)' hosted by the Korea Standards Association on the 27th.

Giga Internet is also contributing to reducing household telecommunications costs. The KT Economic and Management Research Institute analyzed that using Giga Wi-Fi service instead of LTE data when enjoying streaming videos on mobile devices can save 19,800 won per month (based on 2GB) per line. Considering the average number of mobile connections per household (2.3 lines), this means saving more than 500,000 won per household per year. In July, the 'Total Combination Discount' was launched to provide more discounts to Giga Internet subscribers.

KT Mass General Manager Lim Heon-moon said, “With 2 million Giga Internet subscribers, we have established a foundation for providing full-scale Giga services,” and “We will work harder to provide greater benefits with Giga Internet 2.0, which will allow anyone to use the full Giga service regardless of whether it is wired or wireless, anywhere in the country.”