KOREA TELECOM LAUNCHING CONVERGED WIRELESS SERVICE

Nice. Good way for KT to help its wireless division, KT Freetel (KTF), cut into SK Telecom's market share. Wonder if AT&T or anyone else will follow this path in the U.S. From FierceWireless:

Korean government approves KT converged wireless service

The South Korean government has approved KT's plans to launch a new landline/wireless converged telecom service. The new converged service, called "One-phone" or "MU," will allow subscribers to connect to a fixed-line network when at home but automatically roam to a mobile network when outside using a variety of wireless technologies including Bluetooth. KT said the service will offer more competitive rates than traditional wireless services. One-phone uses a specially designed handset by Samsung that also includes a built-in digital camera and multimedia applications. KT will kick off a trial of the service next week with plans to launch One-phone commercially in August. KT is the largest landline carrier in South Korea with 21 million customers.

Landline carriers like KT are looking to converged wireless as a way to help them both retain existing customers and compete with wireless carriers. The U.K.'s BT is developing an even more comprehensive converged telecom initiative called Project Bluephone, which will eventually bundle landline broadband, wireless and wireline VoIP, and cellular voice and data into a single service with access from one handset.