READING. Task 3. Scan the article and answer these questions.

Task 3. Scan the article and answer these questions.

1. What is the biggest mobile operator in South Korea?

2. What do these numbers in the article refer to?

a) 2005 b) 7.5m c) 1.2m d) $435m

Task 4. Now read the article more carefully and answer these questions.

1. Who is target audience of TU Media?

2. Why is mobile TV successful in South Korea?

LESSONS FROM SOUTH KOREA’S EXPERIMENT WITH MOBILE TV

From The Economist

Ride on the Seoul metro or take a bus around the city's streets and you will see passengers gazing at their mobile phones with rapt attention, earplugs firmly in place. They are watching television. Since the first services were launched in 2005, mobile-TV services have garnered over 7.5m customers. The signals are delivered via terrestrial and satellite broadcasts, a far more efficient approach than sending individual data streams to each viewer's handset, as is mostly done in other countries.

Of the 6.3m users of the terrestrial service, which is free, about one-third watch on their phones, and the rest on screens installed in motor vehicles or on other portable devices. Another 1.2m people watch the satellite service, which costs about $11 a month. The government predicts that by the end of next year the number of terrestrial customers will reach 10.8m and the number of satellite subscribers will grow to 2.8m. In other words, more than one-quarter of the population will be tuning in.

SK Telecom, the biggest mobile operator, has been pushing the satellite service, which is offered by its subsidiary, TU Media. It has spent about $435m on the service so far and needs 2.5m subscribers to break even, says Kwang Heo of TU. Its customers are mostly sports-loving young men. Soap operas and variety shows were at first available only with a time delay, but in July TU struck a deal with MBC, Korea's biggest private broadcaster, to provide a live feed.

But even if mobile TV does prove successful in South Korea, it does not necessarily bode well for similar services elsewhere. Its rapid rise in South Korea is largely due to the government, which set technology standards and insisted on a free terrestrial service.

Task 5. Mark each statement true or false.

1. Ride on the Seoul metro or take a bus around the city's streets and you will see passengers reading magazines.

2. Mobile TV was launched in 2000.

3. Users have to pay for the terrestrial service.

4. Customers of TU are mostly fashion-conscious women.

5. The government insisted on a free terrestrial service.

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