"Intentional or Accidental? Controversy Over KT-Originated Ultra-High-Speed Internet Quality [Cha Min-young's PostIT]"

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[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] #. 'Intentional or accidental.' KT's 10-gigabit internet speed controversy has led to widespread public distrust across the telecommunications industry. The government has launched a full-scale investigation targeting the three major telecom companies, starting with KT, and plans to examine whether internet speeds were deliberately throttled. They also intend to address loopholes in user agreements that seem to shift the responsibility of speed measurement onto consumers.

This controversy began when a famous IT YouTuber with 1.7 million subscribers, 'Itsseop,' revealed on his YouTube channel on the 17th, a week ago, that the KT 10-gigabit internet service he uses was actually provided at speeds as low as 100 Mbps, which is only one-hundredth of the promised speed. This is far below KT's minimum guaranteed speed of 3 Gbps as stated in their terms. Additionally, issues were raised about the customer service attitude, including unkind responses from customer center staff that seemed to shift the responsibility for speed measurement and faults onto customers.

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KT issued a public apology three days later on the 21st, but by then consumers had already turned away. On its official website, KT stated, "We deeply apologize for the inconvenience and concern caused by the recent degradation of 10-gigabit internet quality." In the case of Itsseop, it was confirmed that there was an error in the customer speed information settings during equipment expansion and replacement work for the 10-gigabit internet. Among 10-gigabit internet users, 24 similar cases were identified and corrective measures were taken.

The relevant government ministries have also stepped in. The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Communications Commission have requested data from KT and are investigating the reported issues. They are examining whether telecom companies intentionally reduced internet speeds and whether any violations of the Telecommunications Business Act occurred during the installation process. Approximately 10,000 users are subject to this investigation, and other internet products will be reviewed sequentially. The detailed inspection plan is still being developed and is expected to include on-site inspections. According to Ministry of Science and ICT statistics, as of the end of February, there were a total of 22.46 million high-speed internet subscribers in South Korea. By company, KT holds the largest share at 41.1%, and the combined share of the three major telecom companies reaches 90.4%.

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The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to improve the user agreement system after comprehensively reviewing domestic conditions and overseas cases. Ultimately, after the inspection, telecom operators will be recommended to revise their terms, and the operators will amend and report them to the Ministry. Although there was already a compensation system for internet quality degradation, it had a loophole in that customers had to check speeds themselves and telecom companies had no obligation to notify them.

This controversy has also increased interest in methods for verifying service quality and compensation standards. Consumers who want to check whether their internet speed is slow can use the websites of the three major telecom companies or services such as Whois, the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA), and the National Information Society Agency (NIA). The minimum speed (download standard), which determines eligibility for compensation, varies by product, so verification is necessary. If repeated speed checks show speeds below the minimum, consumers can report faults and receive after-sales service (AS).

On online communities, posts certifying "self-measurements" have been continuously shared. One netizen said, "I also tested KT internet speed," sharing a screenshot of the test results. The user revealed that out of five SLA quality measurements, four were rated "satisfactory" and one was "below standard." In some circles, posts like "how to increase speed" have even become popular, creating an unusual phenomenon.

Experts point out the need to establish a system that can measure the average internet speed of consumer products. Kim Yong-hee, a specialist at OpenRoot, said, "A system should be built where speeds are measured periodically, like TV ratings, and telecom operators provide the data immediately upon consumer request." Concerns about privacy infringement raised by some are also considered resolvable through contractual agreements and are essentially a matter of policy judgment. Professor Choi Kyung-jin of Gachon University’s Law Department stated, "It is necessary to legislate procedures for random sampling tests conducted frequently," adding, "Even if logs are recorded, since they are done with subscriber consent under the contract, there is no issue of personal information violation."

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