KT M Mobile said on Monday it won the grand prize in the budget mobile category at the 2026 Consumer-Recommended No. 1 Brand awards ceremony held on May 28, marking its fourth straight year.

KT M Mobile said it is close to surpassing 2 million subscribers, a first for the budget mobile industry. It said it was named the top brand for the fourth consecutive year in recognition of achievements including reasonable pricing and quality, a differentiated digital transition strategy and customer-focused services.

KT M Mobile said it has built a non-face-to-face self-activation setup that allows anyone to sign up quickly and easily. For customers who have difficulty with self-activation, it said it has applied an "AI auto-activation" system in which an AI voicebot calls directly to help with identity verification and activation across both physical SIMs and eSIMs, reducing activation wait times.

It also introduced an AI-based consultation system called M-bot, enabling customers to handle tasks such as bill payment and usage checks more easily. KT M Mobile said it plans to introduce services that apply AI technology so customers can conveniently receive recommendations for tailored mobile plans.

Kim Eui-hyun (김의현), CEO of KT M Mobile, said, "Of the many brands, winning the grand prize for four consecutive years through consumers' choice and recommendations is more meaningful than anything." He said, "We will continue to become South Korea's leading telecommunications partner that customers can trust with peace of mind, based on convenient services and rich benefits."