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SK Telecom's mobile TV phone sales
miss target
SEOUL - Sales
of mobile phones that can receive digital
television signals via a satellite, which are used
for a groundbreaking project by SK Telecom
Co,South Korea's top mobile carrier, are falling
short of its expectations, an affiliate said
Friday.
According to TU Media Corp., a
unit of SK Telecom that is scheduled to launch the
world's first satellite-based digital TV service
for mobile phones on Sunday, about 24,000 handsets
have been sold so far.
SK Telecom's new
service, called satellite digital multimedia
broadcasting (DMB), promises to offer clear TV
content over the satellite to small hand-held
devices such as mobile phones and in-vehicle
wireless devices.
Customers have to buy
specially equipped handsets to subscribe to the
service and receive digital TV signals from the
satellite.
The less-than-expected sales
are mainly due to a higher handset price, some
analysts here say.
So far, only one
handset, manufactured by Samsung Electronics Co is
available on the market. The SCH-B100 phone is
priced at some 850,000 won (US$847) before
subsidies.
On Wednesday, TU Media Chief
Executive Seo Young-kil said in a press conference
that it will not offer subsidies for customers to
buy the satellite DMB phones.
During the
press conference, TU Media said it plans to sell
600,000 satellite DMB phones by the end of this
year.
Satellite-based digital TV on mobile
phones is one of SK Telecom's projects to find a
new revenue stream amid flagging growth at home
because of market saturation.
In the three
months ended March 31, SK Telecom reported a
bigger-than-expected drop in quarterly profit as
it lost subscribers to rivals amid a government
policy that helps smaller rivals better compete
with the top mobile operator.
First-quarter net profit fell 19% to 368
billion won, compared with 452 billion won a year
ago. SK Telecom saw its market share slump to 51%
as of the end of March.
Though SK Telecom
has pinned its hope on the commercial launch of
satellite-based mobile TV service, some analysts
have said the company may face an uphill battle
due to a seemingly fierce competition with
broadcasters, equipment difficulties and a lack of
"killer applications".
(Asia
Pulse/Yonhap)SK Telecom's mobile TV phone sales
miss target
Sales of mobile phones that can
receive digital television signals via a
satellite, which are used for a groundbreaking
project by SK Telecom Co,South Korea's top mobile
carrier, are falling short of its expectations, an
affiliate said.
SK Telecom's mobile TV
phone sales miss target
SEOUL - Sales of
mobile phones that can receive digital television
signals via a satellite, which are used for a
groundbreaking project by SK Telecom Co,South
Korea's top mobile carrier, are falling short of
its expectations, an affiliate said Friday.
According to TU Media Corp., a unit of SK
Telecom that is scheduled to launch the world's
first satellite-based digital TV service for
mobile phones on Sunday, about 24,000 handsets
have been sold so far.
SK Telecom's new
service, called satellite digital multimedia
broadcasting (DMB), promises to offer clear TV
content over the satellite to small hand-held
devices such as mobile phones and in-vehicle
wireless devices.
Customers have to buy
specially equipped handsets to subscribe to the
service and receive digital TV signals from the
satellite.
The less-than-expected sales
are mainly due to a higher handset price, some
analysts here say.
So far, only one
handset, manufactured by Samsung Electronics Co is
available on the market. The SCH-B100 phone is
priced at some 850,000 won (US$847) before
subsidies.
On Wednesday, TU Media Chief
Executive Seo Young-kil said in a press conference
that it will not offer subsidies for customers to
buy the satellite DMB phones.
During the
press conference, TU Media said it plans to sell
600,000 satellite DMB phones by the end of this
year.
Satellite-based digital TV on mobile
phones is one of SK Telecom's projects to find a
new revenue stream amid flagging growth at home
because of market saturation.
In the three
months ended March 31, SK Telecom reported a
bigger-than-expected drop in quarterly profit as
it lost subscribers to rivals amid a government
policy that helps smaller rivals better compete
with the top mobile operator.
First-quarter net profit fell 19% to 368
billion won, compared with 452 billion won a year
ago. SK Telecom saw its market share slump to 51%
as of the end of March.
Though SK Telecom
has pinned its hope on the commercial launch of
satellite-based mobile TV service, some analysts
have said the company may face an uphill battle
due to a seemingly fierce competition with
broadcasters, equipment difficulties and a lack of
"killer applications".
(Asia
Pulse/Yonhap) |
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