KT Opens '30,000 KRW 5G Plans'... Will SKT and LGU+ Follow?

KT's 'Unlimited Plan' Leads the Way
5G Mid-Range Plans Also Launched First
SKT and LG Uplus Expected to Follow Soon

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] KT has launched a mid-range 5G plan priced in the 30,000 KRW range when applying the selection discount, drawing attention to additional plan launches by competitors SK Telecom and LG Uplus.

SK Telecom and LG Uplus mentioned plans to launch mid-range plans during the National Assembly audit on the 8th, and the three major telecom companies have released similar plans in the past.

According to industry sources on the 10th, KT recently announced the launch of two new mid-range 5G plans, ‘5G Save’ and ‘5G Simple’. In particular, ‘5G Save’ is a plan for customers who do not use much data, priced in the 40,000 KRW range per month. With a 25% selection discount, users can pay only 33,750 KRW monthly. It provides 5GB of data per month, and once the basic allowance is exhausted, data can be used at speeds up to 400 Kbps (kilobits per second).

At the National Assembly audit held on the 8th, Rep. Byun Jae-il of the Democratic Party said, "It is necessary to lead the market by launching discounted plans first, like KT." In response, SK Telecom and LG Uplus stated, "We plan to launch plans that increase customer benefits."

Some critics argue that mid-range plans offering low data volumes on 5G are meaningless. For KT’s 5G Save, the data allowance is only 5GB, making it difficult to fully utilize 5G services. Since customers can purchase 5G devices unlocked and choose LTE plans, there are concerns about reduced usability.

However, KT’s attempt is seen as encouraging in terms of "expanding consumer choice." KT has previously introduced differentiated 5G plans, and competitors have followed with similar offerings. Last year, KT was the first among the three major telecom companies to launch a fully unlimited data plan, taking the initiative. Subsequently, SK Telecom and LG Uplus launched similar unlimited plans, sparking competition among the three companies in unlimited data plans.