Mobile users can now receive the headline news over their cellular phones in real time.

SK Telecom announced that it would launch CNN Mobile Service early next year to provide Speed011 users with CNN?s international news, business news, sports scores, weather updates, lifestyle tips, and information on the local events in major world cities over the SK Telecom wireless data service n.TOP in real time.

Users can search or read the news in the text format on their cellular phones.

16 mobile carriers are providing CNN Mobile Service to more than 36 million users in 13 countries in the world, and SK Telecom is the first carrier in Korea to provide the service.

SK Telecom signed the license contract with Turner International at a signing ceremony held at the SK Telecom Namdaemoon headquarters today. Under the contract SK Telecom has the right to use the service contents and brand name, and provide exclusive service to the Korean customers for 27 months to come.

The introduction of CNN Mobile Service is significant particularly because SK Telecom will be able to globalize the information contents it provides by linking its wireless data service n.TOP services with the well-known brand name of CNN, a global information contents provider.

In addition, it provides an opportunity for the telecommunications service provider SK Telecom and the global media company Turner International to join forces in their future mobile multimedia endeavors.

SK Telecom expects that the new service will be favorably received especially by the office workers, university students and users in their 20?s and 30?s who have particular interests in having access to various news and learning English.

The company says that it will continue to develop new differentiated mobile data services in the coming years.