Hook, line and sinker - and a cellphone

With most of South Korea's people already hooked on cellphones, one operator has found a new market - helping fishermen locate their catches.

SK Telecom said Wednesday it has introduced a service using a float-shaped ultrasonic transmitter, which is connected to a phone on one end and a fishing line on the other.

"This service needs an additional device costing 120 000 won ($120)," SK Telecom spokesperson Lee Kyo-Hyuk told AFP.

"It shows the location of fish and the depth and temperature of the water."

It is the latest in a series of fresh services developed by South Korean firms to attract increasingly sated clients.

In 2004 SK Telecom became the first to introduce a service using ultrasonic waves to repel mosquitoes. Now all other local firms provide similar services.

"The mosquito-chasing service has helped our company attract more than 10 000 new clients every year," Lee said.

[via IOL]