Promoting the "Affordable Mobile Plan Support Program for Elderly Living Alone"
Local Government Demand Survey Open Until August 8
The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on July 21 that it will conduct a survey of local government demand to implement the "Affordable Mobile Plan Support Program for Elderly Living Alone."
This initiative, carried out in cooperation with local governments, telecommunications operators, and post offices, is designed to enhance telecommunications accessibility for digitally marginalized elderly people living alone and to reduce their communication expenses.
This project will be operated as a public-private partnership model, with the government, local governments, and private sector each playing specific roles. The Ministry of Science and ICT will oversee the entire project, while local governments will be responsible for selecting eligible recipients and providing fee support. The three major mobile carriers and affordable mobile plan providers will design and offer exclusive, low-cost plans for elderly people living alone. The Korea Post will assist with on-site enrollment for seniors through its nationwide post office network.
The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to conduct the demand survey for participating local governments until August 8. Local governments that are able to cover the mobile plan costs for elderly people living alone are eligible to participate. Once the participating local governments are confirmed, the project will be officially launched following consultations with them.
When the program begins, eligible seniors will be selected according to the criteria of each local government. The selected recipients will be offered a mobile plan costing around 10,000 won per month, which includes a data safety option (QoS), at an actual out-of-pocket cost of about 5,000 to 6,000 won per month for two years.
This plan has been made affordable through subsidies from the mobile carriers and reduced post office fees, with the participating local governments covering the remaining costs. To ensure convenience for elderly users, information about the plan and the enrollment process will be provided through the nationwide post office network.
Bae Kyunghoon, Minister of Science and ICT, stated, "This support program is closely aligned with the new administration's telecommunications pledge to guarantee basic communication rights. We will continue to implement comprehensive policies to bridge the digital divide, so that all citizens can enjoy telecommunications services at reasonable costs."
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