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South Korea's homegrown wireless Internet technology WiBro has been included in international third-generation (3G) communications standards, which will allow it to make greater inroads into global markets, a government agency said Friday.

On Thursday, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a global tech policymaking group, held a meeting in Geneva in which it included the WiBro technology as one of its 3G communications standards, the Ministry of Information and Communication said.

WiBro, or wireless broadband Internet, is a technology designed to allow users to log into high-speed Internet connections even when they are on the move.

South Korea is a global leader in the wireless technology, which it hopes will serve as one of the nation's future growth engines.

KT Corp., the nation's largest fixed-line telephony and Internet operator, launched commercial service of WiBro in and around the Seoul area in 2006 for the first time in the world.

Currently Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and other smaller companies are unveiling diverse WiBro devices.

The WiBro service, however, has failed to appeal to customers even in its local market with only 67,000 people having signed up to the mobile Internet service, according to KT.

Experts said that the ITU decision to endorse WiBro as a 3G standard will help raise its low profile at home and abroad. And it will also accelerate WiBro's advance to overseas markets by leveling the playing field, enabling it to compete with other communications platform since the wireless technology will be given a 3G radio bandwidth which will allow users to enjoy roaming services.

"It is a breakthrough that WiBro was included in the 3G communications standard for the first time as a South Korean technology," a tech expert said. "It will help boost the profile of WiBro at home and abroad, and pave the way for South Korea's advance even in the 4G communications markets with its own technologies.

SEOUL, Oct. 19 (Yonhap)