Telcos likely to offer teleconferencing for free during Lunar New Year amid pandemic

SEOUL, Feb. 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korean mobile carriers will likely provide videoconference services for free during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday, according to industry officials Wednesday, as in-person contact is limited to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.

The Ministry of Science and ICT and the country's three major telecom operators -- SK Telecom Co., KT Corp. and LG Uplus Corp. -- are considering such telecommunication support measures during the holiday period, which falls on Feb. 11-13 this year, as the country grapples with the ongoing pandemic, according to the officials.

South Koreans usually celebrate the holiday with extended family, but the country's ban on gatherings of five or more people to prevent the virus' spread will likely restrict most family gatherings.

The telecom operators are expected to offer teleconference services at no cost from Feb. 11-14 to help families meet virtually and are pursuing other support measures, such as temporarily expanding mobile data usage for small business owners affected by the pandemic.

The government has reportedly requested participation from the companies for the support plan after robust earnings last year.

SK Telecom said its net profit last year jumped 74 percent thanks to its improved mobile businesses.

The country's total subscriptions to costlier 5G mobile networks reached 11.85 million as of the end of last year, compared with 4.67 million in end-2019, according to government data.

On Tuesday, South Korea's daily COVID-19 cases stayed in the 300s for the third day in a row.

yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
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