The project unveiled by the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) will require investment of 1.3 trillion won (935 million dollars) from the government and 32.8 trillion from the private sector.

"South Korea will be the first in the world to build such a network nationwide for commercial use," Rha Sung-Uk of the state-run National Information Society Agency told AFP.

The agency teamed up with the commission to work out a blueprint for the project, which officials said will change the lifestyle of Koreans.

"You can download a movie in one or two seconds through an upgraded optical fibre cable extended to every household," Rha said.

"It will allow users to engage in e-commerce or use Internet protocol phones while watching ultra high-definition TV programmes."

The existing wireless network will also be rebuilt for faster data transmission and multiple services, he said.

Commission officials said the plan will enable users to transmit data at an average speed of 1 Gbps (gigabits per second) through a fixed line, more than 10 times faster than now.

South Korea is already one of the world's most wired societies with nearly all households connected to the Internet, but KCC officials said the new network will become an engine for growth.

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