"Free OTT for Vulnerable Groups"…Government Promotes 'Digital Voucher' Program

Prospects for Providing Benefits to Government Basic Livelihood Security Recipients and Others

The government is promoting a plan to provide free online video service (OTT) vouchers to vulnerable groups such as basic livelihood security recipients.

According to the industry on the 16th, the Ministry of Science and ICT recently requested domestic OTT companies such as TVING, Wavve, and Watcha to participate in the digital voucher project.

This digital voucher, aimed at vulnerable groups including basic livelihood security recipients, is expected to be piloted within this year.

The government explained that this project has been carried out to prevent certain groups from being excluded from digital services.

Currently, the three major mobile carriers provide discounts on communication fees for vulnerable groups according to relevant laws. As the use of digital devices and content has increased, the intention is to convert communication fee discounts into voucher form so that other additional services can also be selected.

The reason the government is seeking to provide free OTT viewing rights to vulnerable groups is understood to be due to recent successive subscription fee increases by OTT services, which have increased the burden on consumers.

However, the specific operational method of the project is still under discussion. The government is reviewing the related project but states that no specific schedule or details have been decided yet.