The number of Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) subscribers more than doubled last year, passing the 4.5-million mark, according to the Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning on January 26. The number of Korea’s mobile phone subscribers stood at 57.20 million as of the end of December 2014, up 4.6 percent or 2.52 million from a year ago.
Of the total, MVNO users accounted for 8.01 percent or 4.58 million as of the end of December 2014, a sharp increase from 2.48 million in December 2013. This was the first time for the share of MVNO users in total mobile phone users to exceed the 8 percent level.
The share of MVNO subscribers has been on an upward trend, rising to 0.7 percent in December 2011, 2.4 percent in December 2012, and 4.5 percent in December 2013.
In particular, since the law intended to improve the handset distribution structure in October 2014, a large number of mobile phone users turned their eyes toward cut-rate MVNO services.
Source: The Korea Economic Daily
