The three big telecom companies in Korea are set to launch various IoT (Internet of Things) services, expanding the market. (Image : Kobizmedia / Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Jan.11 (Korea Bizwire) – The three big telecom companies in Korea are set to launch various IoT (Internet of Things) services, expanding the market.
According to an industry report, nearly 60 home IoT services will be launched during the first half of this year.
SK Telecom launched a new brand called Smart Home in May 2015, which is currently providing 25 different services. Heaters, air conditioners, door locks, kimchi refrigerators, air purifiers, and dehumidifiers are some of the products that the services cover.
SK Telecom will launch 40 additional services during the first half of the year. Rice cookers, electrical outlets, gas alarms, safes, stove hoods, and drum washers are some of the products that will be covered.
Features that control home appliances with the user’s voice and automatic control based on an analysis of usage patterns are expected to be provided.
LG U+, which launched its ‘IoT @Home’ brand in July 2015, is currently providing 14 different services. The company says that its strong suit is its services regarding the maintenance of its devices, and is anticipating the number of subscribers to surpass 100,000 during the month of January.
LG U+ is not only working with LG Electronics, but also Samsung Electronics, and will provide 16 additional services during the first half of the year. Refrigerators, air conditioners, air purifiers, washers and microwave ovens will be included.
KT is currently operating six different kinds of IoT services, but only two are for home networks, ‘Olleh IoT Home Fitness’ and ‘Olleh Giga IoT Home Cam’.
KT plans to release its ‘Olleh Giga IoT Home Manager’, which covers electrical outlets, gas safety devices and door sensors during the month of January. It also plans to launch five or six additional home services.
Industry officials comment that telecom businesses launching IoT brands last year are starting to activate them through various home IoT services, making competition in the market fierce this year.
By Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
