Hello HELIO - here comes the sun

SKT released their Q3 data. Since January the 1st, they've spent 50% of their overall CAPEX target ($1.5bn), but 60.7% of their W-CDMA CAPEX target ($359M for the first 9 months). That's for the MNO part of the job.

Regarding the virtual part, SK Telecom are also over-mega-hyper-teasing the future services of their SKT-Earthlink JV, which they branded Helio in honor of the young god of sun Helios. The drop-shaped logo and the website's iconography rather remind me of an utility company, but the company is claiming futility for the younger generation : innovative devices, entertainment, movies, music, you name it. Thanks to innovations 2 year ahead of the competition, no less than 3M of 18-32 year-old are supposed to bring a $2 bn annual turnover by the end of 2009. Well... that's what HELIO staff members have been selling to potential partners during a ten day roadshow across the US. Who said I was overhyping ?*

I'm not worrying about technology, nor about marketing know-how. I'm just anxious to hear about their key content partnerships. I understand not much of their $440 M will be invested in networking... but for social networking, that is.

To be continued, as usual.


* see "SKT-Earthlink - Postponing and podcasting" and "From Hallyuwood to Hollywood" or "2005 : how about Europe ?".