Minister Choi Ki-young: "28GHz 5G Will Also Allow Joint Construction of Base Stations"

Choi Ki-young, Minister of Science and ICT

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] Choi Ki-young, Minister of Science and ICT, stated that the three mobile carriers are considering a joint construction plan for 5G base stations in the 28 gigahertz (GHz) band.

On the 15th, Minister Choi Ki-young attended the 'Rural 5G Joint Usage Agreement' event with the CEOs of the three mobile carriers at the Kensington Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul.

Before the event, Minister Choi met with reporters and was asked whether the mandatory construction of 15,000 5G base stations in the 28 GHz band was insufficient. He replied, "This year, the three mobile carriers will jointly build many 5G base stations in the 28 GHz band. Considering that joint construction achieves the same effect, it will not be difficult to reach close to the mandatory construction target."

Previously, the three carriers submitted plans to install 5G base stations in the 28 GHz band, which they were obligated to build within three years after being allocated the 28 GHz band in the 2018 5G frequency auction. The mandatory number of 28 GHz 5G base stations to be built by the three carriers by this year, the third year, was ▲SK Telecom (15,215 units) ▲KT (15,000 units) ▲LG Uplus (15,000 units), totaling 45,215 units.

However, according to industry sources, the number of 28 GHz 5G base stations installed by the mobile carriers so far falls far short of the target. The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to conduct a compliance inspection next year regarding the construction of 28 GHz 5G base stations by the carriers.

Meanwhile, on the same day, the Ministry of Science and ICT and the three carriers signed a business agreement to jointly build 5G wireless communication facilities in rural areas and complete commercialization within three years. Minister Choi said, "The rural 5G joint usage established today will be a desirable cooperation case among the three domestic carriers. We expect it to early bridge the 5G gap between urban and rural areas and lay the foundation for a digitally inclusive society."

The three carriers plan to start developing necessary technologies such as a joint network management system from the first half of this year, begin network construction by mid-second half, and conduct pilot commercialization within the year. After analyzing and evaluating the pilot results, they intend to complete phased commercialization by the first half of 2024 through necessary measures such as network stabilization. If the construction of base stations in 85 administrative districts by the three carriers proceeds as scheduled, the expansion of 5G coverage in Korea is expected to accelerate.