Tom Cruise among the first Helio users

(source: Korea Herald) As part of its star marketing, SK Telecom has offered free Helio handsets to celebrities including Steven Spielberg, Tom Cruise and female Korean golfers in the United States.
On May 2, Helio started offering wireless services by renting networks from nationwide network operators such as Sprint Nextel and Verizon Wireless. This is known as the mobile virtual network operator, or MVNO, system. "We will offer American users a whole new cultural experience with wireless data service," SK Telecom CEO Kim Shin-bae said during the ceremony. Helio targets young, tech-savvy Americans and Koreans living in the United States. The company will soon begin promotional events and service demonstrations while touring Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Washington, D.C. Helio users can send and receive text, picture and video messages both in English and Korean characters, while enjoying cheap international calling rates between Korea and the United States, mobile blogging on Yahoo, Cyworld and MySpace.