On the 27th, SK Telecom announced plans to revamp its 5G offerings to cater to cost-conscious consumers.
SKT will launch a new 5G plan at a level of 39,000 won, which is 10,000 won less than its previous lowest-priced 5G plan, the Basic at 49,000 won, and it will introduce the industry’s first online-exclusive 5G plan priced in the 20,000 won range.
Additionally, SKT will release a youth-targeted plan in the 30,000 won range and will increase the data limits for existing mid-priced plans. Reflecting the trend of rising OTT usage, they will offer a 2,000 won discount on the Wavve add-on service and a YouTube Premium discount benefit in its plans.
SKT will also introduce two new plans, ‘Compact’ offering 6GB for 39,000 won per month and ‘Compact Plus’ offering 8GB for 45,000 won per month, which will be available from the 28th. Customers using these plans will be able to continue using data at speeds of up to 400 kbps even after consuming their allocation.
Moreover, SKT will increase the data limits of its existing mid-priced plans. The data provision for the ‘Basic (49,000 won per month)’ plan will increase from 8GB to 11GB, and the data for the ‘Slim (55,000 won per month)’ plan will rise from 11GB to 15GB. These increases will be automatically applied without separate application starting April 1st.
Further, SKT will provide a data top-up service that allows customers to add data as needed. Customers using ‘Compact’, ‘Compact Plus’, ‘Basic’, and ‘Slim’ plans can top-up 1-4GB of additional data for 3,000 won once per month, according to their plan.
On the 28th, SKT will also introduce two new online-exclusive plans: ‘Direct 5G 27 (27,000 won per month, 6GB)’ and ‘Direct 5G 31 (31,000 won per month, 8GB)’. The ‘Direct 5G 27’ plan, being the industry’s first online plan in the 20,000 won range, offers the same benefits as the 30,000 won ‘Compact’ plan but at about 30% lower monthly costs.
These online-only plans can be subscribed to without a contract, allowing more flexibility for cancellation or changes, and customers can receive additional discounts by bundling services. The online-only plans can be accessed at the official SK Telecom online store, T Direct Shop (https://shop.tworld.co.kr).
SKT will also introduce the ‘0 Youth 37 (37,000 won per month, 6GB)’ plan available for customers under 34 years old on the 28th. Young customers will enjoy the same benefits as the 39,000 won ‘Compact’ plan at a 2,000 won discount.
Additionally, the data offerings of the existing ‘0 Youth’ plans will be expanded. Starting April 1, without any separate application, the ‘0 Youth 43 (43,000 won per month)’ plan will increase from 6GB to 8GB, while the ‘0 Youth 49 (49,000 won per month)’ plan will rise from 12GB to 15GB. Youth plans will also offer a data top-up service for 3,000 won, allowing 1-4GB of additional data to be purchased once a month.
Customers using the 0 Youth plan will enjoy benefits such as a 50% discount on one coffee at major coffee shops across the country, 50% off one movie ticket at CGV, and a 50% discount on roaming fees with the baro roaming service.
To mitigate the burden of OTT usage for customers, SKT will provide a 2,000 won discount on the ‘Wavve and Data (9,900 won/month)’ add-on service starting April 1. Customers signed up for plans ranging from Compact (39,000 won/month) to 5GX Regular Plus (79,000 won/month) and 0 Youth 37 (37,000 won/month) to 0 Youth 79 (79,000 won/month) will be eligible for the discount on this add-on service.
‘Wavve and Data’ provides access to over 100 channels of live TV, along with domestic and international dramas, variety shows, and original series, along with dedicated daily data of 1GB.
SKT will also launch a ‘5GX Premium (109,000 won/month)’ plan that includes unlimited data and benefits from the ‘Space Pass’ subscription on the 28th. Customers of the ‘5GX Premium’ plan will receive a discount on YouTube Premium services worth 14,900 won per month and enjoy up to 30% discounts at Seven Eleven and Tous Les Jours through the Space Pass Life subscription. The YouTube Premium discount benefits will be limited to customers who join within 6 months of the plan’s launch.
SKT continues its efforts to improve pricing options and create a wider array of plans, introducing the first mid-tier 5G plans, online-exclusive plans, youth plans, and senior plans in the industry. With this restructuring, SKT’s 5G offerings will expand from 43 to 49 plans.
Kim Ji-hyung, SKT’s Integrated Marketing Strategy Officer, stated, “As the 5G market reaches maturity, we are launching 5G plans reflecting a range of customer needs and usage patterns.” He added, “SKT will continue to introduce rational 5G pricing options that consider customer requirements and provide tangible benefits.”
E Jang Jin, daedusj@autodiary.kr