The Ministry of Science and ICT said on the 9th it will push to introduce QoS (a data service that provides 1–5 Mbps after the basic data is used up), shifting its focus beyond cutting phone bills to guaranteeing the "basic right" to use data.
At the core is making the data safety option (QoS) a default feature on all LTE and 5G data plans offered by the three mobile carriers. Until now, except for some plans, once the basic allotment was used up, data use effectively stopped for fear of extra charges; going forward, the aim is to guarantee speeds that allow at least basic internet services such as messaging and search even after the data is exhausted.
The government expects about 7.17 million lines to benefit from this overhaul, with an annual savings effect on phone bills of 322.1 billion won. In particular, the burden is expected to ease for subscribers who exceed their data every month or have used separate QoS add-on services.
In addition, LTE and 5G plans will be integrated and streamlined so users can more easily choose a plan that suits them. The government plans to complete revisions to the three carriers' terms and conditions and overhaul their IT systems in the first half of the year to introduce a new QoS-centered rate system.