The Koreans have yet again achieved a milestone in the advancement of broadband services. While residents of Bournemouth struggle to get their hands on the 100 Mb fibre optic trial and Virgin Media makes loud noises about its 50 Mb fixed line broadband launch, Korea has announced that it would start work on a 1 Gb broadband service.

The super fast service would be launched in 2012 and will lead to creation of 120,000 jobs. The service is likely to have a major impact on the Korean IT infrastructure and would get a huge welcome from its gaming community. The cost is projected to be $24.6 billion, but in this recessionary period, it would also act as a much-needed stimulus for the economy. To add to this, the Korean wireless network is also set for a big boost. The service would be improved to make sure it can handle speeds up to 10 Mb.

Korea is one of the few countries, which have always been at the leading edge of broadband development. Among the developed nations, you do not have to go far from home to figure out who is lagging behind. Try out your own connection and see how slow it is in comparison with the 100 Mb speeds that Korea currently enjoys. Clearly, UK needs more ambitious planning and execution if it has to stay in touch with the broadband big boys.