A new R&D framework of telecommunications under competitive environment in Korea: the case of FPLMTS project

Summary form only as given. Korea has deployed a nationwide R&D framework to develop telecommunications technologies systematically. The main idea behind the framework was that government should lead the R&D program to strengthen national competitiveness. It was widely accepted that it was a very efficient R&D framework. The recent telecommunications environment, however, has been rapidly changed. Competition was introduced in the telecommunications service industry and its market has already been opened. With successful technology transfer from research institutes and investment by private firms in telecommunications technology, private firms have attained a level at which they can draw out all the potential of a new technology. With these changes, the traditional government-driven R&D framework is no longer fit to carry out R&D effectively. In this paper, a new telecommunications R&D framework has been described using the case of the FPLMTS project. It resembles the current R&D framework in that several parties collaborate. However, it is different from the current R&D framework in that each participating organization has its own research area as well as in that service providers can accumulate the acquired technologies. In this framework, government-owned telecommunication operators can participate fairly in R&D projects. There are still several issues to be resolved, however.