[2020 National Audit] Choi Ki-young: "Seoul Public Wi-Fi Project Judged as Legal Violation"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seol Gina] Choi Ki-young, Minister of Science and ICT, stated on the 7th that Seoul's public Wi-Fi project violates the law.

Minister Choi attended the National Assembly Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Committee's audit and responded to People Power Party lawmaker Jeong Hee-yong's question on whether Seoul's public Wi-Fi project is judged to violate the Telecommunications Business Act by saying, "At present, it is being judged as such."

Earlier, Seoul decided to expand public Wi-Fi networks using its own private communication network, but this private network method has been embroiled in controversy for violating laws, causing the project to be halted. The Ministry of Science and ICT has expressed various concerns about the method Seoul is pursuing and is demanding that the project be carried out using one of the three methods permitted under current law.

Lawmaker Jeong said, "There is an opinion that Seoul's public Wi-Fi project legally risks violating the Telecommunications Business Act, economically causes redundant resource waste nationally by local governments building individual communication networks, and policy-wise may cause confusion in systematic backbone network management," adding, "The Ministry of Science and ICT must resolve the issue of role division when local governments build public Wi-Fi."

Currently, the legal methods for building public Wi-Fi are divided into: ▲ projects where the government and local governments invest funds and telecom companies build, operate, and maintain the network ▲ establishing local public enterprises or special purpose corporations (SPC), or Seoul city-affiliated organizations providing public Wi-Fi services ▲ local governments leasing private networks to telecom companies, which then provide Wi-Fi services with discounted line fees to the local governments.

The Ministry of Science and ICT and Seoul City are currently discussing reasonable alternatives through a public Wi-Fi working group.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.