The Growth of Broadband Internet Connections in South Korea: Contributing Factors

During the past two years, Korea has seen a remarkable development in broadband Internet connections. This paper explores the factors contributing to the development from three viewpoints: government-driven, private sector-driven and social background. The paper first presents the recent broadband Internet trends in Korea, and briefly describes the local loop unbundling process in UK. While the broadband Internet market in Korea is characterized by high competition, the British market lacks competition. It concludes with challenges ahead which policy makers and industry leaders face.