Move to Korea

Leaders in High Speed Internet

[Visit Thailand]

Why is it other countries are so far behind Korea?

This article from the BBC is enough to make many of us here very jealous indeed.

[news.bbc.co.uk...]

South Korea is well known as a nation of broadband addicts and soon the speeds people enjoy at home will be available while they are out and about.

and

[news.bbc.co.uk...]

Today, three quarters of Koreans have broadband, making South Korea the most wired country on the planet.

[edited by: Visit_Thailand at 8:47 am (utc) on Nov. 6, 2006]

[bill]

That article focuses on Korea, but Japan is equal if not ahead of Korea in a lot of those technologies and services. The world's first 3G phones were brought to market in Japan and I believe Japan's NTT DoCoMo were the first to 4G trials for mobile connectivity.

Korea and Japan have high population densities and it is easier to push out high-speed wireless services in those areas. They also have the infrastructure built out in a way that makes upgrading relatively quick. Then you have populations with over 50% who use mobile devices. This creates markets for further development.

For broadband, Japan has had 1 gbps offered since 2004 [webmasterworld.com].

[rj87uk]

Little old me was dreaming of a 5meg connection... I wouldn't pay for it, a little on the costly side at the moment I think.

[LifeinAsia]

Why is it other countries are so far behind Korea?

Part of explanation: other countries don't have the same level of government subsidation of the costs.

By the way, having lived there for over 10 years, I can attest that connectivity to the rest of the world can often be hampered by weather and other factors.

Speeds within Korea- blazingly fast. Speeds to the rest of the world? Well, it's not going to matter much whether you've got 1M or 5M download into your home.

[edited by: LifeinAsia at 7:47 pm (utc) on Nov. 6, 2006]