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Skype Launches SkypeIn For Korea |
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Written by Adam Gosling
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Thursday, 30 November 2006 |
After a bit of a sticky start with the Korean authorities,
Skype is now said tobe offering SkypeIn to South Korean users. The new service
will be offered with local online auction site, appropriately called Auction.
eBay, which owns Skype, also owns more than a 99-percent
stake in the Korean site, Auction.
Skype initially ran foul of the Korean regulators back in late
June when the South Korean Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) told
it to stop signing up new users until it met the necessary regulatory
requirements.
Apparently, Skype had neglected to register as a
communications provider and there was also some problem with local laws that do
not permit users to pre-pay for services.
The authorities at the time seemed okay with the slip up and
said that once all the paperwork and approvals were in place it was happy for
Skype to do business in Korea.
Skype first introduced Skype-to-Skype calls in Korea last
February and has since been providing Skype-Out since September. The introduction
of SkypeIn completes the service availability form the joint venture.
According to The Korea Times, users have to sign up for the service at the (Korean-language
site) skype.auction.co.kr and select an
11-digit number. The service costs 13,200 won for three-months or 39,600 won
for a year.
"Skype-In is beneficial for both callers and receivers callers will be charged with inexpensive local
telephony rates regardless of the receiver's location," Auction director Beh
Dong-chol said.
"Receivers don't have to pay fees other than the initial payment.
Furthermore, they can forward the incoming calls to a regular phone or a cell
phone," he said.
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