There are already 260,000 5G subscribers in South Korea, just one month after the introduction of next-generation mobile services in the country. In South Korea, one of the world's most advanced mobile phone countries, it was so big that the country's Ministry of Science and Information Technology coordinated the simultaneous launch of three major carriers.
south korea 5g
SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus switched to their 5G networks in December, serving mainly corporate clients before SK Telecom launched its mobile service in early April this year. However, the initial release was hailed by complaints about coverage and speed. The ministry confirmed that there are currently 54,202 base stations in the country equipped with 5G technology, but coverage is currently limited to urban areas. Although the spectrum used for 5G networks has much higher capacity than the bands used for 4G, it also has a shorter range. This means that operators must densify their networks with more sites, including micro-infrastructures, such as small cells. "Many of the initial complaints raised by consumers are being processed, but with an increasing number of users of the system, other issues need to be highlighted and will need to be resolved," the science and ICT ministry said. Verizon launched the world's first 5G network in the United States last year and plans to offer services later this year. Meanwhile, the four British operators have confirmed that they will launch 5G networks in 2019.