By Kim Tae-gyu
Staff Reporter


CHEJU - The car is evolving into a sophisticated computer embedded with wireless connectivity in line with the automotive technology wave of telematics.

SK Telecom, the country’s foremost mobile operator, on Thursday opened a telematics center here.

Telematics alludes to the latest cross between computer technology and wireless telecom, enabling the provision of a wide array of services inside an automobile.

SK Telecom plans to embark on a telematics pilot run from Dec. 27 by installing 500 terminals in as many rental cars to showcase the compelling service to tourists.

``We will deploy a bona-fide telematics service package apart from conventional navigational help from late this month in Cheju,’’ SK Telecom president Kim Shin-bae said.

The telematics terminal will be equipped with a 6.5-inch monitor, 20-gigabyte storage, wireless local area network (LAN) ability and a mobile phone modem.

The services, available in both Korean and English, can be categorized into the six segments of navigation, travel information, leisure, safety, infotainment and culture & living tips.

For the smooth take-off of the new service, SK Telecom will provide the service free of charge from the end of next February before changing to a fee-based service.

After the period, the terminal will be priced at 1.35 million and usage fees will range from 7,000 won to 10,000 a day.

In the long term, SK Telecom looks to bundle the satellite digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB), the mobility-specific broadcasting, and a next-generation telecom platform into the telematics service.

Cheju Island, an international tourist destination with a flourishing rental car business, has been touted as the optimal location for using and promoting the telematics business.

``As many as 5.1 million Korean tourists took flights to Cheju last year and 73 percent of them used rental cars, amply demonstrating the potential of the island as a telematics test bed,’’ SK Telecom president Kim Shin-bae said.

After checking its commercial viability in Cheju via two-phased tests ending July 2006, SK Telecom will seek to expand the futuristic service across the nation.

Telematics

Telematics originally referred to a broad range of industries taking advantage of computer technology in concert with up-to-date telecommunications systems.

However, the French-rooted term is more specifically used today to describe systems that put a computer, a mobile connection and a global positioning system (GPS) into a car.

Envisioned telematics applications include GPS navigation, voice interaction services, real-time traffic reports, automated crash and theft notification, location tracking and remote diagnostics.

But such features are expected to land in a full-fledged manner in the future and as of right now, most telematics offerings are limited to safety and navigational aid.

Under the most optimistic predictions, Korea’s telematics market is expected to reach $1.03 billion in 2005, $1.67 billion in 2006 and $2.97 billion in 2007, according to the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute.

The state-backed agency also predicted the world’s telematics market would reach $17.6 billion in 2005, $22.1 billion in 2006 and $25.2 billion in 2007.

But there still remain some stumbling blocks en route to the full commercialization of telematics, including the driver’s safety and privacy woes.

Given the many governments restrictions on in-car cell phone usage due to fears of drivers being distracted, having the Internet will be much more dangerous. But a fully connected automobile will be capable of providing information about drivers and vehicle owners in a variety of ways.

voc200@koreatimes.co.kr