SK Broadband announced on Thursday, Sept. 30 that it had filed a countersuit against Netflix over network usage fees. It was reported that the lawsuit had been based on the court decision in June, which favored the Korean internet service provider.
In April, Netflix’s Korean unit sued SK Broadband and requested the court in Seoul to confirm that it is not its duty to pay the said usage fees concerning data traffic. In June, the court released its decision that ruled against Netflix in the dispute, and the streaming firm filed for an appeal in July.
The Seoul Central District Court rejected and dismissed Netflix’s request that states it has no obligation to pay network usage fees to SK Broadband. Thus, the appeal was filed in an effort to reverse the decision.
“There has never been a case globally where a court or a government forced content providers to pay for network fees,” Netflix said in a statement. “The decision may topple the global internet ecosystem developed by content providers and internet service providers.”
More than two months after Netflix filed its appeal, The Korea Herald reported that SK Broadband, one of the leading broadband internet providers in the country, heads to the Seoul High Court to countersue the streaming service provider.
This move was said to be a follow-up measure as Netflix did not respond to the broadband firm’s proposals. Likewise, SK Broadband went on to file its countersuit so it could finally claim fees for the use of its network so Netflix could provide its service in South Korea.
“Netflix is free-riding on our network that is provided at cost due to the huge spending in initial establishment and annual maintenance,” Pulse News quoted SK Broadband as saying regarding the case. It added that it has decided to countersue because, despite the ruling, Netflix continues to refuse to enter negotiations so they can reach an agreement.
SK Broadband stressed that as of September this year, Netflix Korea consumes around 1,200Gbps of traffic on its network. This number is said to be a big increase from May 2018, when it was only consuming 50Gbps.
The company further noted that maintaining this service for the streaming giant is definitely not for free. Finally, it was estimated that the network usage fee involved in the dispute could reach up to $84.4 million or ₩100 billion.


GM Issues Recall for 2026 Chevrolet Silverado Trucks Over Missing Owner Manuals
Europe Confronts Rising Competitive Pressure as China Accelerates Export-Led Growth
Asian Markets Mixed as Fed Rate Cut Bets Grow and Japan’s Nikkei Leads Gains
Asian Currencies Steady as Markets Await Fed Rate Decision; Indian Rupee Hits New Record Low
Wikipedia Pushes for AI Licensing Deals as Jimmy Wales Calls for Fair Compensation
Momenta Quietly Moves Toward Hong Kong IPO Amid Rising China-U.S. Tensions
Gold Prices Steady as Markets Await Key U.S. Data and Expected Fed Rate Cut
Amazon Italy Pays €180M in Compensation as Delivery Staff Probe Ends
Oil Prices Hold Steady as Ukraine Tensions and Fed Cut Expectations Support Market
European Oil & Gas Stocks Face 2026 With Cautious Outlook Amid Valuation Pressure
ExxonMobil to Shut Older Singapore Steam Cracker Amid Global Petrochemical Downturn
Hikvision Challenges FCC Rule Tightening Restrictions on Chinese Telecom Equipment
Anthropic Reportedly Taps Wilson Sonsini as It Prepares for a Potential 2026 IPO
Netflix Nearing Major Deal to Acquire Warner Bros Discovery Assets
Microchip Technology Boosts Q3 Outlook on Strong Bookings Momentum
U.S. Futures Steady as Rate-Cut Bets Rise on Soft Labor Data
Tesla Expands Affordable Model 3 Lineup in Europe to Boost EV Demand 



