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Net service to be 1,000 times faster by 2004
Korea Herald
by Hwang Jang-jin Staff reporter
Jan. 17, 2000By 2004, Koreans will have Internet connections 1,000 times faster than today. By 2005 more than 95 percent of homes will log onto the high-speed Web, according to a government blueprint aimed to promote the nation's "informationization."
The Ministry of Information and Communications yesterday unveiled the plan after consulting with the ruling National Congress for New Politics.
It is designed to follow up President Kim Dae-jung's New Year message, which placed great emphasis on information technology. In the message, he envisioned Korea would be among the world's top 10 powers in the information and knowledge-based industry.
According to the plan, the government will invest 40 trillion won ($35 billion) by 2005 in deploying nationwide a high-speed Internet infrastructure which will allow multimedia data transmission, anytime, anywhere.
The project was originally scheduled to be completed by 2010, but the government said it has decided to advance the timetable to meet the surging need for high-speed Internet.
"The high-speed connections will make available new multimedia applications that exist only as concepts or prototypes today, and will profoundly change Koreans' everyday life, bringing the Internet to its center," the ministry said.
To that end, the ministry will install fiber-optic cable networks in 144 major areas nationwide by the end of this year, a project originally scheduled for 2002.
The government projects that by the year 2005 up to 15 million homes, or over 95 percent of all 16 million Korean households, will have the high-speed Internet connections at affordable costs. In addition, office buildings with more than five stories and new apartment complexes will be connected to LANs (local area networks) that provide data transmission at a speed of up to 100 Mbps.
The ministry also said it will spend 286 billion won by 2004 in projects to boost the nation's info technology to the level of the most advanced nation. The plan includes the development of technology that will allow Internet connection at a speed of up to 30 Mbps, 1,000 times faster than today's broadband access speed of 33 Kbps.
The ministry also said it will enhance computer education to narrow the information gap between the rich and poor, the urban and rural areas.
It will install satellite Internet access facilities to rural and mountainous areas while establishing free-of-charge computer education centers in some 100 post offices in those areas.
The government will earmark 4 billion won every year until 2003 for computer education for women and the handicapped. The plan also calls for computer education of soldiers by setting up PC rooms on military bases by next year.
The government will also set up a 150 billion won investment fund for info-tech venture firms jointly with private corporations. About 50 billion won from the state budget will be earmarked for the fund while businesses are expected to provide over 100 billion won. The fund's volume will be increased to 300 billion won in the future to help create 10,000 new jobs.
The government will also push ahead with projects to computerize its administration procedures ranging from taxation to issuance of public documents, in a broader project aimed to establish a more electronic government, the ministry said.
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