Avatars sign official business agreement in KT's virtual meeting room

By Lim Chang-won Posted : April 8, 2020, 12:19 Updated : April 8, 2020, 12:19

A picture released by KT shows Senior Vice President Park Hyun-jin using his avatar to shake hands with his FET counterpart T.Y. Yin at a virtual meeting room on April 7. [Courtesy of KT]

SEOUL -- For the first time in South Korea's business history, an official business agreement was signed at a virtual meeting room by the avatars of senior officials from KT and its Taiwanese counterpart, Far EasTone Telecommunications (FET), without having direct contact to avoid the possible infection of a novel coronavirus.

With their faces captured in avatars, KT's senior vice president Park Hyun-Jin and FET's executive vice president T. Y. Yin sat in their offices in Seoul and Taipei and remotely signed a memorandum of understanding on April 7 for collaboration in 5G services and digital content development via KT's virtual meeting platform.

KT used Super VR, a virtual reality device, to provide diverse services, including remote meetings among global business partners. KT's 5G video conference application software using 3D and augmented reality technologies allows up to eight people to meet for a high-definition video conference. Users can have voice conversations in real time.

The agreement calls for the joint development of 5G services and digital content. KT hopes the deal will help bolster its global leadership in 5G services. "We will seek mutual growth of our two companies and generate new revenue by incorporating KT's 5G service operation know-how and Hallyu (Korean cultural wave) content with FET's customer base," Park said.

KT's video conferencing app offers ultra-high-definition over-the-top media streaming, webzine content, and the early commercialization of 5G roaming. Webzine is KT's mobile media service offering high-quality web dramas and reality entertainment shows featuring popular K-pop idol group members on a monthly basis. Such content will be distributed on FET's digital service brand.

FET, a subsidiary of Taiwan's Far Eastern Group, plans to commercialize 5G services during the third quarter of this year. The company provides wireless communications and smart home services, as well as diverse digital content in video, music and shopping. "Through extensive cooperation with KT, we at FET aim to upgrade some 20 percent of our existing LTE subscribers to 5G within this year," said Yin.
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