S. Korea's KT Corp. Launches IPTV Service in Thailand

- First S. Korean Telecommunications Service Provider to Export Commercial IPTV Service to Thailand -

- From Korea's Top IPTV Provider, KT Expects to Lead Global IPTV Business -

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Dec 03, 2020, 08:00 ET

SEOUL, South Korea, Dec. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- KT Corporation (KRX: 030200; NYSE: KT), South Korea's largest telecommunications company, announced its IPTV service successfully exported globally for the first time to 3BB TV Co. Ltd. of Thailand.

3BB TV, an affiliate of Jasmine Group will combine its ultra-speed Triple T Broadband internet connection with the IPTV service. With the combination, the Jasmine Group expects to become Thailand's No. 1 telecom operator.

A Thai family watches a program provided by 3BB TV’s GIGATV, an IPTV service developed based on KT’s olleh TV platform.

For the launch of 3BB's new IPTV service, KT enabled the Thai company to cover all areas of an IPTV operation. KT provided its olleh TV platform and technology, which include IPTV and OTT solutions, technologies for optimal content-delivery network, advertisement and channel-suggestion services, and end-to-end quality management.

"This project is a new model of cooperation between KT and global partners specializing in media solutions, set-top box technology and other media business areas," said Park Yoon-Young, president of KT's Enterprise Business Group. "Riding on its success in Thailand, KT will be able to expand its IPTV business to other Southeast Asian countries and further around the world."

KT signed a comprehensive IPTV consulting agreement with Triple T Broadband in August last year. Both Triple T Broadband and 3BB TV are affiliates of Jasmine Group/Jasmine International Public Company Limited, a Thai provider of Internet services with ultra-high speed.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic constraints, KT completed the project without a significant delay. Amid international travel restrictions, KT and its 11 business partners conducted video conferences and used remote control technology for market research and consulting services, platform development, and system tests.

"We launched our 3BB GIGATV service after consulting and development cooperation over 15 months since the signing of a memorandum of understanding," said Subhoj Sunyabhisithkul, president of 3BB TV. "3BB GIGATV will provide a differentiated and innovative service, laying the foundation for sustainable growth in the Thai media market."

Based on market research findings, new TV service functions were tailored to the local conditions. Given that most Thai families have more than four members, 3BB GIGATV provides up to six IDs for individual use on each TV. Also, Thailand customers can experience contents in optimal service environment.

In addition, a user-friendly UI enables 3BB GIGATV subscribers to shift to HBO or other OTT services without additional login. This is to meet the needs of Thai viewers who generally tend to subscribe to several OTT streaming services.

KT expects its experience in operating olleh TV will help enable 3BB TV to provide dependable service. With 8.5 million subscribers, olleh TV has the largest IPTV subscriber base in South Korea.

KT's media operation center in Seoul will remotely oversee 3BB's service and support its system management. KT is planning to expand its role into that of a managed service provider in the days ahead.

KT plans to leverage its export of IPTV platform and technology to Thailand amid the pandemic situation of its global outreach, taking momentum from the growth of global media industry as well as its own extensive contactless collaboration with global business partners.

KT is also consolidating its position in the global market as a leading digital platform provider and is honing its competitive edge based on its capabilities in ABC – Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data and Cloud. It recently built a smart energy platform in Uzbekistan, and is gearing up for development of AI content curation and cloud-based video on demand, among other state-of-the-art services.

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ABOUT KT CORPORATION (KRX: 030200; NYSE: KT)

KT Corp., Korea's largest telecommunications service provider, is leading the new era of innovations in one of the world's most connected countries with 5G, Big Data, Cloud, IoT, Blockchain and other transformative technologies. KT launched the world's first nationwide commercial 5G network in April 2019, after showcasing the first trial 5G services at the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games in February 2018. To help cope with COVID-19, KT is staging a social campaign, dubbed "Ma-Eum:TACT (Heart to Heart)," providing technology supports for people and businesses in need. KT will deliver most essential and innovative services and solutions to its customers around the world as the first frontier in the next technology revolution and number one Global ICT Company.

For more information, please visit our English website at https://corp.kt.com/eng/

SOURCE KT Corp.