http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=49984
KOREA: KT plans to build 60 ubiquitous cities by 2015 U-Cities to feature high-speed networks and high technology Korea Times Friday, July 28, 2006 By Kim Tae-gyu Cellular phones with which people can turn off gas ovens from outside their houses; bridges equipped with sensors that check their status around the clock; pressure-sensitive floors for patients that can detect a fall and contact help. These digital ways of life are not a distant dream but an imminent reality in Korea thanks to a U-City project, spearheaded by KT, the country's dominant fixed-line telecom operator. KT is now building five U-Cities, futuristic places characterized by pervasive computing and ubiquitous communications, and looks to increase the number more than 10-fold in a decade. Short for ubiquitous cities, many lifeless objects in U-Cities will have intelligence with incorporated chips or sensors. Plus, data provided by them will travel and be shared through lightning-fast networks. Residents, who some call Digital Homo Sapiens, will be able to enjoy access to the high-speed networks that carry all the information from people or objects at any time and at any place. "We aim to increase the number of U-Cities to 12 by 2010 and to more than 60 by 2015," KT vice president Yun Hae-jong, who is in charge of the carrier's U-City business, Friday told The Korea Times. "U-Cities are kind of a mega-trend in tandem with the ongoing digital revolution. They will accommodate digital literates or Digital Homo Sapiens," he projected. The five places where KT's U-City project is underway are Pusan, Songdo in Inchon, Dongtan in Hwasong, Unjong in Paju and Hungdok in Yongin. The first-stage construction of ubiquitous computing at the above- mentioned places is expected to be completed soon, thus enabling a flurry of applications. To accelerate the drive for the lucrative U-City project, KT plans to apply the concept of ubiquitous connection and intelligent objects to most newly-constructed residential complexes. "Revolutionizing traffic, healthcare, education and other lifestyles, the U-City project will create huge benefits for both people and related industries in Korea," Yun said. "Of course, it will enhance our bottom line,'' Yun beamed adding, "In recognition of its exponential potential, we began investment on U- City project in 2004, earlier than our competitors." KT officially forecast the U-City development scheme will generate somewhere between $15 billion and $22 billion in 2010. The former state monopoly that was fully privatized in 2002 picks radio tags and smart cards as immediate killer applications of the U- City. In particular, Yun projected that the radio frequency identification (RFID) will feature widespread use in the envisioned paradise of ubiquitous connectivity. The RFID tag is a small integrated-circuit chip with a radio circuit and an identification code embedded into it that can be scanned from a distance. The tiny tag is expected to replace the current barcodes down the road at such places as retail chains. Over the long haul, the cutting- edge technology can be employed in the fields of livestock trading, highway toll collection and premium product manufacturing. The RFID tags allow distributors to trace their products on a real- time basis irrespective of their locations, thus improving supply- chain management significantly. Date Posted: 7/28/2006 --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ TELECOM-CITIES Current searchable archives (Feb. 1, 2006 to present) at http://www.mail-archive.com/telecom-cities@forums.nyu.edu/ Old searchble archives at http://www.mail-archive.com/telecom-cities@googlegroups.com/ -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
