The conglomerate which controls South Korea's largest mobile carrier SK Telecom said the major investment plan was aimed at maintaining its leadership in the sector and promoting growth.

"We will spend more than 10 trillion won (8.6 billion dollars) in the information and telecommunications area by 2007," South Korea's third largest conglomerate SK Group said in a statement.

The initiative would focus on "platform business" whereby it seeks all the relevant business areas encompassing service, equipment and content, it said.

With a budget of two trillion won set aside, much of its resources would go to the new satellite digital broadcasting business where customers can watch TV programs on their mobile handsets, the group said.

It added it would expand its own research on service and equipment sectors, while fostering collaborative work with partners on developing programs.

SK Telecom has 18 million subscribers, 54 percent of South Korea's total mobile communications market.

SPACE.WIRE