This paper has explored the impact of the unlocked USIM (universal subscriber identity module) chips on South Korea’s telecom and financial industries. To that end, both positive and negative aspects of unlocking USIM chips are presented, and compar...
This paper has explored the impact of the unlocked USIM (universal subscriber identity module) chips on South Korea’s telecom and financial industries. To that end, both positive and negative aspects of unlocking USIM chips are presented, and comparable cases in other countries such as France, Italy, Germany, Japan and the U.S. are also illustrated. Another methodology employed in this paper is a survey and data analysis. The survey was conducted on Korean employees aged between 20 and 50, and data from the Bank of Korea, the Korea Information Society Develompent Institute, and the Korea Communications Commission were compiled for in-depth analysis to scrutinize the impact of the USIM.
The results of the survey and data analysis show that telecom operators, which used to hold monopolistic control on the mobile market, began to lose their edge with the introduction of the unlocked USIM chips that allowed subscribers to switch carriers or use a different handset freely. The exclusive market control of telecom operators, in short, was gone; three players -- telecom operators, handset makers, subscribers -- now share the power. New business opportunities also rose, suggesting that USIM unlocking had a positive impact on the telecom industry.
The results of the survey and data analysis strongly suggest that handset makers should strengthen their international competitive edge in connection with smartphones and mobile Internet services. Mobile financial services, in their infancy, also deserve more attention from the all parties involved. In addition, regulators and authorities should draw up a viable roadmap that will help nurture USIM-initiated equipment, software and financial businesses. In particular, detailed policies that govern USIM chips and related technologies are in order, as the majority of survey participants pointed out the problems with the stability of USIM-related solutions.