A government investigation team said Monday that telecom operator KT is responsible for mishandling its femtocell mini cellular stations, which became the main loophole exploited in a series of unauthorized mobile payment fraud cases earlier this year, and urged the company to waive early termination fees for all of its customers. Femtocells are small, low-power cellular base stations typically used in homes or small businesses. The team, led by the Ministry of Science and ICT, said at a press briefing that the breach stemmed from KT’s negligence in managing femtocells, which constituted a violation of its contractual obligation to provide safe communication services to all users. “The ministry found that KT’s negligence in managing its femtocells and the resulting risk of data breaches was not limited to the victims of the payment fraud, but exposed all KT users to potential threats,” the ministry said. “KT failed to fulfill its obligation by not employing appropriate protective measures to prevent such incidents.” The payment fraud took place from late August to early Septe