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Purpose - The growth of telecommunications spending is the single most vital factor for continuity of the virtuous circle in the overall in formation communications technology (ICT) industry. This article aims to attempt to gauge the future telecommunications expenditure potential of Korean households by adopting the Kuznets curve which considers the income turning point. Design/methodology/approach - This study begins by examining the structural pattern of household telecommunications expenditures, and then analyzes them using the fully modified least squares estimation method. Household survey raw data collected on a quarterly basis between 1982 and 2005 were used. Findings - The paper finds that the Korean telecommunication market has grown at a high pace and adopted new technologies quickly. Most previous studies on the Korean telecommunication market have predicted that growth will continue on the basis of the past trend of continuous growth in consumer communications service expenditure, and the technological innovations which have rapidly taken place in the industry over recent years. However, the research paper finds various interesting points that contradict the prediction. Research limitations/implications - The main research limitation is the range of telecommunication expenditures. The main idea was to examine the relationship between household income and communications expenditure based on the concept of Kuznets hypotheses and to calculate an income turning point to measure spending potential. Practical implications - The case of Korea offers implications for other countries that are putting in special efforts to manage the telecommunications service market. Originality/value - The Kuznets hypotheses have never before been utilized in gauging consumers' expenditure potential in the ICT industry, and therefore the process and results discussed in this paper can be classed as pioneering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate the aims of IPTV-based public services in Korea. Design/methodology/approach - This is a case study written based on the results of a government research project that the authors participated in. Findings - Korea's IPTV promotion policies are driven with a strong force. Focusing on public as well as industrial benefits, the Korean government decided to provide public services through IPTV. For example, the Korean government introduced a plan called "tailored IPTV education services" to expand education services through IPTV. The study of this case is expected to provide implications about new public services under the ubiquitous environment that combines broadcasting and communication. Research limitations/implications - IPTV-based public services are currently in trial phase. Therefore, additional research is necessary to analyze the effectiveness of services after a commercial launch. Practical implications - This case serves as a reference for other countries that are pursuing public interests through the new media. Originality/value - This is the first study that looks into the effects of IPTV-based public services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — The purpose of this paper is to explore how the scope of universal service has been extended from voice telephony to include broadband and mobile communications in Korea. This paper addresses how Korea's approach to broadband and mobile service utilizes different strategies. Design/methodology/approach — The paper is an analysis of universal service policies. It applies five criteria for reviewing whether broadband and mobile communications could be included in the scope of universal service. Findings — This paper addresses Korea's approach to broadband and mobile service utilizes different strategies. An information society policy was applied to broadband diffusion, while a regulatory policy was applied to mobile service diffusion. Korea's universal service expansion policy shows a government and industry integration model. Originality/value — This paper shows Korea's unique approach for universal service. It deals with how universal service has been driven forward as a part of an information society p/an and information divide bridging policy in Korea. With flexible approaches, broadband and mobile services could start to be regarded as universal services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This study seeks to survey the current convergence of broadcasting and telecommunication, examine the policy questions that arise in Korea and present a review of current regulation in this field. Design/methodology/approach - From a technical perspective, the convergence between telecommunications and broadcasting is emerging as both industries move towards digital standards. Yet, from a policy-making perspective, convergence seems premature and may not be desirable. This study focuses in particular on the digital media broadcasting (DMB) service, which is currently being developed in Korea. Findings - The paper suggests perspectives on forthcoming satellite DMA service developments, and the implications of this emerging technological breakthrough. The study indicates that current broadcasting-based regulatory frameworks may tend to deter technological convergence and thus delay service introduction in the market Originality/value - The paper concludes with a new regulatory model with more consideration of service providers and users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — The purpose of this study is to examine the congruence between policy supply and demand in Internet privacy as moderated by culture. Design/methodology/approach — This study consists of the two parts. The first part qualitatively examines policy harmonization efforts among Asian-Pacific nations. The second part, based on survey findings, quantitatively analyzes differences between the US and Korean college students in regulatory attitudes toward information privacy The aim, drawing on regime theory as a departure, is to measure the policy genesis and its effectiveness in operation. Findings — The findings are two-fold. First, contrary to the expectations, the notions of online privacy rights among the Korean respondents are strongly formed, with the regulatory demands widely shared with the US participants. Second, however, there exists a gap between the beliefs of information privacy rights and daily practices — the duality far more magnified among the Korean respondents. Practical implications — The results suggest the incongruence of the consensus between the two levels — of policymakers and of online users of different cultures. Originality/value — While most studies focus on internet policy genesis alone, this paper measures the policy effectiveness in its consumption to capture the operation of cultural values in everyday practices. Policy implications and alternatives for developing nations are discussed in (he specific context of Asian-Pacific nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — This study seeks to investigate the effect of mobile number portability (MNP) on mobile subscribers in Korea by focusing on subscribers' perception and behavior related to MNP Design/methodology/approach — The study collected data on subscribers who had changed mobile carriers between the beginning of MNP (July 2003) and December 2005. The data were analyzed by statistical analyses such as ANOVA and logistic regression. Findings — Statistical analyses in this study reveal that subscribers perceive the switching barrier still as high, discouraging subscribers from switching carriers. While MNP lowered switching costs considerably, a significant level of switching costs still remains despite MNP Carriers develop new subscriber lock-in strategies that make them stay with current carriers. In addition, there are hidden costs other than MNP that should burden subscribers with number portaling. Research limitations/implications — The findings imply that the MNP has directly affected the industries to a greater extent than subscribers, which suggests implications for both regulators and industries: how to effectively enforce MNP to achieve the intended goals and how to achieve competitive advantage with MNP Originality/value — This research is particularly interested in investigating the effect of the introduction of MNP on subscribers' behaviors and perceptions, and therefore their motivations for changing or remaining with mobile carriers (operators) with the introduction of MNP Although there have been many studies looking at the effect of number portability on competition at the industry level, little attention has been shown on the individual level such as subscribers' behavior or perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]