Seoul City, science ministry clashing over new public Wi-Fi service

A poster displayed in public in Seoul informs passersby of the free Wi-Fi service in the area, Monday. The Seoul Metropolitan Government will start a new high-speed free Wi-Fi service in the city on Nov. 1. Yonhap

By Kim Se-jeong

The Seoul Metropolitan Government's plan to offer new public Wi-Fi services is causing friction with the Ministry of Science and ICT, according to officials Tuesday.

On Monday, the city government said it will begin a trial run of the free service in two districts of Seoul on Nov. 1, drawing criticism from the science ministry which claimed the plan violates the law.

The ministry even threatened to file a criminal complaint if the city continues with its plan.

The ministry's main issue is that the city will use its own intranet for the service, instead of using networks provided by private communication network companies.

According to the ministry, this will turn the city into a telecommunications network operator, which violates the Telecommunication Business Act. According to the law, local governments are not permitted to operate a facilities-based telecommunications business.

Defending the service, a city government official said: "We want everyone in the city to enjoy high-speed internet through this service. It will also serve as basic infrastructure that will help Seoul prepare to become a smart city."

The city official dismissed the ministry's claim that the city is violating the law and said the clause allows room for interpretation.

"We've been consulting with the ministry about our service. The ministry agrees that this service is necessary. We will continue to discuss the issue."

Named "Kkachi On," the free service will be available in the Gangdong and Guro districts from Nov. 1. By the end of November, the service will also be available in three more districts: Eunpyeong, Gangseo and Dobong. "Kkachi" is the Korean word for magpie, a symbol of the capital city.

One big advantage of the service is that the internet speed will be four times faster than Long-Term Evolution (LTE).

The service will be available at the district's public parks, traditional markets and streets and users can connect to the network on their smartphones by selecting "Seoul_Secure" on the list of available Wi-Fi connections and entering "seoul" as the username and password.

This will be a part of the city's bigger plan to provide the high-speed free Wi-Fi service in all 25 districts by 2022. The city also plans to connect all public elderly care centers to the network for the city's older generation.

"This is part of a social welfare project. Communication fees are getting more expensive and we don't want to exclude elderly people and those who struggle to make ends meet," the city official said.

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