A local institute has developed prototypes for the governent's Wireless Broadband or WiBro program, a system aimed at improving Internet connections to handheld devices.

The Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) held a presentation on the prototypes Monday in which it successfully connected to the Internet with its prototype products.

The Institute said that with the success, it has secured the technological foundation to push for the WiBro program to be commercialized from the first half of 2006. It said products related to the WiBro service are expected to create some 6 trillion won of sales by 2010.

The portable Internet, WiBro, is designed to be more efficient at providing Internet connectivity and mobile data than either broadband or current mobile services.