An examination of factors contributing to South Korea’s global leadership in broadband adoption

The present study explores the economic and public policy factors that have contributed South Korea’s global leadership in broadband adoption. In particular, the authors explore the economic and public policy factors shaping telecommunication development in South Korea, employing a conceptual framework that explicates a triangular relationship between the government, service providers, and users. Data used in the study are based on government statistics, company-published information, and secondary sources. Our analysis suggests that (1) the Korean government’s cyber vision plan has provided an open market that encourages competition, as the dramatic growth of the broadband market in Korea is the culmination of appropriate government policy, growing demand, and fierce market competition based on responsive supply, and (2) operators can benefit from consolidation as well as multiple revenue sources generated by new services in order to remain competitive.