KT Corp slashes mobile plans from 105 to 18, introduces unlimited data safety option

KT Corp is dramatically streamlining its mobile rate plans, cutting the lineup from 105 to just 18. The overhaul will introduce a unified plan starting in the 20,000-won ($14) range, merging the previously separate LTE and 5G tiers into a single structure and extending unlimited data to customers on lower-priced plans.

Benefits and add-on services that had long been criticized as hard to access will also be applied automatically, without customers having to request them.

KT Corp announced Friday that the consolidated plan lineup will launch July 1.

The new unified offering is organized into two lines: Choice and Basic.

All plans include unlimited data under a "safety option" with quality-of-service speed controls once the base data allowance is exhausted.

The Choice line offers fully unlimited data with no speed cap. It comprises four plans: Choice 90 (90,000 won), Choice 110 (110,000 won), Choice 120 (120,000 won) and Choice 130 (130,000 won). Subscribers may select one or two Choice benefits; the specific perks will be disclosed when the plans go on sale next month.

The Basic line consists of 14 plans: Basic 600MB (28,900 won; speed throttled to 400Kbps after data is used up), Basic 1.4GB (33,000 won; 400Kbps), Basic 30GB (61,000 won; 1Mbps), Basic 90GB (67,000 won; 1Mbps), Basic 110GB (69,000 won; 5Mbps) and Basic 100 (an unlimited plan), among others.

The revamp also introduces enhanced benefits for existing plan holders. Senior customers aged 65 and older on low-cost LTE plans — which had offered limited voice and messaging — will see improved convenience: plans in the 20,000-won range will include voice calls and text messages as standard, while plans in the 10,000-won range will provide 30 minutes of voice calls and 50 text messages per month.

Existing plan subscribers will also be able to use data without restriction even after exhausting their monthly allowance.

Military personnel will receive additional data throughout their service period. Customers with disabilities and other welfare-eligible subscribers will receive up to 600 minutes of video and supplementary calls. An additional 100GB of data will be provided through the "Customer Appreciation Program" — a compensation measure tied to femtocell mismanagement and a personal data breach — through the end of next month.

Age- and usage-based perks will also become easier to access. Once a customer meets the relevant age threshold, benefits will be applied automatically with no separate application required.

For example, when a child customer turns 13, the "School Dum" benefit — which doubles the data allowance — kicks in automatically. From age 18, the "Y Dum" benefit takes over, continuing the doubled data provision.

Senior customers will also receive reinforced perks. Those aged 65 and older will automatically receive the "65+ Dum" benefit, while customers 75 and older will receive the "75+ Dum" benefit, each providing additional data.

"The unified plan was designed from the customer's perspective, restructuring the plan architecture to eliminate the difficulty of choosing," said Kim Young-geol, head of KT Corp's customer business division. "We will continue to expand tailored benefits that reflect life stages and usage patterns to strengthen the overall customer experience."