The evolution of South Korea's Broadband Convergence Network, 2004--2007

Broadband holds a critical position in the progress of economic and social indicators by connecting consumers, businesses and governments. South Korea has consistently been the global leader in broadband deployment since 1999. In the last ten years the Korean government has pursued several strategies for its broadband policy. The purpose of this dissertation is to explore South Korea's implementation of its Broadband Convergence Network (BcN) project with special emphasis on its objectives of achieving media convergence, ubiquitous connectivity; and coordination among network stakeholders. The study uses the theoretical framework of institutionalism to identify factors that help explain how the policy agenda for the BcN was implemented.;The BcN is Korea's most recent high speed Internet infrastructure project and is envisioned as a conduit through which broadband services, applications and content will flow to reflect a robust high speed Internet infrastructure. This broadband infrastructure project began in 2004 as a consortium that includes the government and private sector firms. This infrastructure was launched as a three-phase project. The first phase of the BcN extended from 2004 through 2005, the second phase extended from 2006 through 2007 and the third phase extended from 2008 through 2010.;The study asks four specific research questions: (1) which institutional level factors best explain media convergence, ubiquitous connectivity and network stakeholder coordination?; (2) at the BcN level how do different factors explain media convergence?; (3) at the BcN level how do different factors explain ubiquitous connectivity? (4) at the BcN level how do different factors explain network stakeholder coordination? To answer the questions the study adapts two central methodological approaches. The first entails a documentary research procedure of official policy documents published between 2004 and 2007. The texts are purposively selected on the basis of their relevance to the evolution of South Korea's policy agenda for the BcN. The second procedure involves fieldwork in South Korea comprising face-to-face interviews with key informants who have professional experience with the country's broadband policy. The informants were selected by a snowball sampling technique and they were drawn from universities, non-profit research institutes, private sector firms dealing with broadband and government bodies and agencies.;The study finds that of the ten key factors identified by policy planners of the BcN model, six of them were successfully implemented between 2004 and 2007. The factors where the objectives were met are: (1) the deployment of networks that integrate distinct media; (2) the integration of wireless and wired infrastructure; (3) upgrading IP platforms; (4) the role of stakeholders in providing resources or funding for R&D projects; (5) the role of stakeholders in identifying which platforms best fit with launching the BcN; (6) and the role of stakeholders in devising strategies for the pilot projects. The four areas where they failed to achieve success are: (1) the integration of telecommunications, broadcasting and information technology infrastructure; (2) promoting R&D projects to expand connectivity; (3) deploying wireless broadband access; (4) deploying Fiber-To-The Home (FTTH)/HFC (Hybrid Fiber and Cable) networks.