Xybernaut Corp. (fka XYBR)

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The Republic of Korea's success with ADSL

Since the introduction of Internet services in 1994, the Republic of Korea has experienced an explosion in the size of the Internet service market that had grown to 19 million users (38 per cent of the population) by December 2000. This has been followed by a boom in broadband Internet access.

With fierce competition in the broadband Internet access market, the number of subscribers reached more than 4.6 million in February 2001 (one in every four households). Although broadband access via cable television networks came first, with the launch of a cable modem service by Thrunet in July 1998, it is asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) services that have taken off faster. By February 2001, the majority of broadband subscribers (almost 3 million) were using ADSL, with Korea Telecom supplying more than 70 per cent of the market. Next in popularity is broadband Internet via cable television networks (1.5 million subscribers).