KT Corp, Korea’s largest fixed-line operator, has said that it will limit the Internet access of smart TV sets from Friday, it also urged TV makers like Samsung and LG to pay the costs for network use.

South Korea has a 96% hook up to high-speed broadband and two of the world’s biggest Smart TV makers in Samsung and LG Electronics.

The TV manufacturers are pinning high hopes on internet connected TVs which let viewers to access streaming video, social networking, online games and music. Unfortunately Smart TV viewing eats up a lot of bandwidth useage.

Kim Hyo-sil  the vice president of KT’s smart network policy task force was quoted as saying “KT Corps decision was to protect a majority of Internet users and also prevent smart TVs from distorting the market system.”

Smart TV watchers who are using KT’s high-end Internet cannot use the Internet via their TV’s Web browser as well as services like video on demand and games starting Friday.

Another official said “Compared to conventional PCs, smart TVs, equipped with high-definition 3D viewing quality, cause heavy data traffic. If the fast adoption of smart TVs continues, there is also possibility of network blackout.”

KT Corp said ” if smart TVs dominate the network, the data speed of other Internet users could get 265 times slower to the extent that Web surfing is almost impossible.”

In a report published last year, KT predicted that the number of smart TVs could more than triple by 2013 while the nation’s data traffic could increase about four times overall. Currently, the sales of smart TVs are estimated at about 1 million units in Korea. Of them, some 100,000 TV sets are believed to have offered smart TV features.

Koreas telecom companies KT, SK Broadband and LG Uplus have continued related discussions with TV makers, including Samsung, LG, Sony and Apple, over the past year. The electronics companies showed little interest.

Another KT official said “In order to solve the fundamental issues, TV makers should pay proper costs for their network use like other Internet-based telephony operators and IPTV providers.”

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