More than 10,000 subscribers left KT's network on the first day it implemented a waiver of cancellation penalty fees.
The telecommunications industry said on Jan. 1 that 10,142 subscribers left KT's network the previous day, including budget mobile users. Of those, 5,784 moved to SK Telecom and 1,880 to LG Uplus. Another 2,478 switched to budget mobile operators.
Excluding budget mobile services, 5,886 subscribers left KT that day through number portability among the three mobile carriers. Of those, 4,661 moved to SKT and 1,225 to LG Uplus.
Total number portability, including budget mobile services, came to 35,595 cases. That was more than double the usual daily average of about 15,000.
The industry is also raising the possibility that KT's daily number of cancellations could expand to the tens of thousands after the year-end and New Year period passes.
KT said at a press briefing on Dec. 30 that it will waive cancellation penalty fees in the form of refunds for customers who want to terminate their mobile service contracts through Jan. 13. The waiver also applies retroactively to customers who already cancelled from Sept. 1 last year.
Jin-ho Lee
jhlee26@d-today.co.kr