Telecommunication policies of universal service have been focusing on telephone and its physical connectivity. Yet, changes in the information environment, such as wide use of broadband internet and mobile telephone, call for broader application of the term and related government policies as well. Whereas universal service of conventional telephone was synonymous with universal access, universal service of the internet should be different, because the quality of information acquired and the user’s ability to utilize it may vary drastically from each other even under the universal access environment.
This article attempts to broaden, horizontally and vertically, the concept of universal service by analyzing theoretical frameworks, trends in developed countries, and the current state of Korea’s case. It provides three suggestions. First, universal service should be expanded horizontally to include broadband internet services and mobile telecommunication services. In doing so, vertical expansion should be accompanied by providing not only physical connectivity but also end-user equipment, contents and training required for their utilization. Secondly, it is desirable to institutionalize the universal service around two axes; Telecommunications Business Act and Closing the Digital Divide Act, respectively. This is because the vertical expansion is completely different from those governed by Telecommunications Business Act in providers, defrayment of cost, and management methods. Thirdly, in Korea, target-oriented services are insufficient even in the telephone services. Therefore, services that secure the disabled with unimpeded accessibility should be institutionalized immediately.