[Korea.net News, Society, December 26 2007] Korea to let landline phone users switch to Internet telephone without changing numbers

Korea is preparing a new rule that will allow landline phone customers to switch to Internet-based telephone carriers without changing their phone numbers, officials said Wednesday (Dec. 26).

The new rule will be a boon for consumers, but could cause severe damage to traditional telephone companies such as KT Corp.

The government plans to introduce the "number portability" rule for landline and Internet telephony customers in the first half of next year, officials said.

In 2005, Korea awarded seven licenses to Internet telephony operators, but the move didn't spark a mass migration to Internet operators because the Internet telephone users require a new number with the prefix "070."