"The Legendary Plan is Back: 7GB Monthly for 10,000 Won Forever"

Hello Mobile's New Plan Offering 7GB for Around 10,000 Won
Similar to the 'Legendary Plan' That Was Explosively Popular 2 Years Ago
MVNO-Led Carrier Number Portability Surpasses 500,000 Cases

Carrier number portability reached its highest level in 38 months. This is due to intensified competition led by MVNOs. Following the '0-won plan,' the 'lifetime plan' has also been revived after two years.

According to the Korea Telecommunications Operators Association (KOTA)'s 'May Mobile Number Portability Status,' the total number of number portabilities last month was 526,909 lines. This is the first time since March 2020, when 511,206 lines were recorded, that the monthly number exceeded 500,000 lines. MVNOs led this trend. The total number of moves from the three major carriers to MVNOs (117,513 lines) and from MVNO to MVNO (174,253 lines) combined is 291,766 lines, accounting for 55% of the total.

The spark for MVNO number portability was the '0-won plan.' This plan mainly offers around 10GB of data free of charge for a limited period of 5 to 7 months. As of the 5th, there are about 60 such plans. After the free period ends, many customers switch to another MVNO's 0-won plan. This behavior of moving around is nicknamed the 'grasshopper tribe.' Competition is intensifying further. The 'lifetime plan,' called the 'best-ever plan,' has also been revived after two years. The lifetime plan refers to a plan that can be used at a low cost for life, unlike the current 0-won plan, which offers temporary free conditions.

Hello Mobile launched a plan on the 1st that provides 7GB of data and 500 minutes of calls for 16,910 KRW per month. After using up the 7GB, data can still be used at a speed of 3Mbps. A speed of 3Mbps is sufficient to watch YouTube videos in '720P' quality. This customized plan targets customers who feel inconvenienced by switching 0-won plans according to the free period and want to use data at a low price for life. On internet communities, posts saying "The legendary plan has been revived" are pouring in.

The legendary plan was Seven Mobile's lifetime plan from two years ago. In July 2021, it launched a plan offering 7GB of data (unlimited at 3Mbps after depletion) and 500 minutes of calls for 16,900 KRW per month, gaining explosive popularity. Compared to the plan Hello Mobile launched this time, it is the same except for being 10 KRW cheaper. The subscription was closed in less than a month after its launch. It is estimated that there were more than 100,000 subscribers at that time.