KTF surpasses 300,000 3G users, more than SK

Korea’s No. 2 mobile carrier KTF Co. said yesterday that the number of customers for its 3G communications service has passed 300,000, outperforming key rival SK Telecom Co. in the high-potential market.
After an eight-month pilot run, KTF launched its high-speed downlink packet access, or HSDPA, service nationwide on March 1 to capture the market for 3G mobile communications, which promises faster and more seamless video telephony and data link services. KTF said in a statement that its HSDPA customer base stood at 307,000 as of Tuesday, which was nearly 100,000 more than that of SK Telecom.
KTF, a perennial second-ranked mobile service operator in the 2G voice-centered telephony market, has been pinning its hopes on the 3G market. The company’s share of the 2G voiced-centered mobile service market is around 32 percent, while SK Telecom’s market share hovers at 50 percent. About 40 million people use cell phones in Korea, which has a population of 48 million.
Late last month, SK Telecom commenced its HSDPA service across the nation, raising the stakes in the 3G market. According to the company, its 3G customer base stood at 210,000 as of April 3. The 3G communications service has been touted by some experts as a new growth engine beyond the nearly saturated 2G mobile communications sector.