South Korea's three mobile operators are working together to overturn government regulations which have effectively blocked foreign designed handsets from the market. The three networks expect to be able to start selling handsets from the likes of Nokia and Apple by the end of this year.
"We have always said that we are open to exploring opportunities in Korea if and when there is acceptance from Korean telecom operators of Open Mobile Architecture," Louise Ingram, communications manager of Nokia's Asia-Pacific region, said in an e-mail to the Korea Times newspaper.
There are ongoing negotiations on the sale of Nokia's multimedia phones, multiple sources say. A high-ranking official of one of the firms said that SK Telecom and KTF are playing a tug-of-war with the company about the modification of smart-phone models, especially the popular S60 series, to fit South Korea's regulatory and technological standards. And the Korean firms have recently become less fussy and more active in the negotiations, he told the newspaper.
Nokia actually has a large manufacturing facility in South Korea, but all its handsets are exported.
On the web: The Korea Times
Posted to the site on 18th March 2008
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/29969.php