Mobile phone television growing in South Korea

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More than 10 million South Korean are terrestrial subscribers to mobile phone television services, and more than two million are subscribed via satellite. [AFP]

Brett Cole, Seoul

Last Updated: Tue, 9 Feb 2010 11:16:00 +1100

South Korean technology firms are predicting in-home television in the country may go the same way as landline phones, with growing popularity from mobile phone TV.

More than 10 million South Korean are terrestrial subscribers to mobile phone television services, and more than two million are subscribed via satellite.

The world's second and third biggest mobile phone makers, Samsung and LG, manufacture phones embedded with terrestrial digital mobile broadcasting or DMB services.

Yeo Byeong-hoon, director of corporate strategy at KT, South Korea's biggest telephone company, says the popularity of mobile TV may see it replacing fixed television.

"Although you have TV in your home instead of going to your TV, turning your remote control on, people have this habit of wanting to watch where they are," he said.

South Korean provider say the popularity of the service reaffirms the country's reputation as an early-adopter of new technology.

But there are reports some viewers are already switching off, citing quality of programming and difficulties in watching programs on a small screen.

And companies are also rethinking the viability of the business, with many currently losing money on providing mobile TV services.

KT's Mr Yeo says advertising rates are very low for mobile TV.

"We are only in the early stage of the mobile broadcasting market so once more mobile handsets and terminals are distributed to the market which will lead to increase in contents and trigger virtuous cycle," he said.

"Then maybe the attractiveness of running mobile advertisement will go up and as a result the advertising fee will go up and it will be good for our business."