“Supporting 5G Private Network Demand” Ministry of Science and ICT Shortens Frequency Allocation Review from 3 to 1 Month

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] The government is supporting the demand for 5G specialized networks by shortening the frequency allocation review period from 3 months to 1 month and simplifying the application documents by half.

The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on the 27th that it has issued an administrative notice on the revision of the "Detailed Matters on Frequency Allocation Application Procedures and Methods" and will collect opinions until the 7th of next month.

5G specialized networks are customized networks that provide specialized services to buildings, factories, and other locations. Unlike existing 5G, they feature various operators providing services in limited areas with small-scale network investments. However, the existing frequency allocation procedures are designed assuming nationwide mobile communication services, requiring in-depth reviews on whether stable service can be provided to subscribers. This made the review process and submission documents excessive for 5G specialized network operators who need to provide services quickly in limited areas and in a business-to-business (B2B) format.

To improve this, the Ministry of Science and ICT has established a greatly simplified procedure tailored to the characteristics of 5G specialized networks. First, the review process has been integrated and simplified, and financial aspects are minimally reviewed to enable rapid market entry (review period reduced from 3 months to 1 month) and allow services to be provided with small-scale capital.

Additionally, to address the issue where the cost of preparing application documents exceeded the frequency usage fees, the submission documents have been reduced by half (from 23 items to 12 items), easing the burden on applicant companies.

Choi Woo-hyuk, Director of the Radio Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Science and ICT, said, “We have boldly reformed the existing procedures so that various operators can enter the 5G specialized network business quickly and smoothly. We hope that this regulatory improvement will help 5G, a core infrastructure of the Digital New Deal, spread across various industrial sectors and promote digital innovation.”

The revision notice can be found on the Ministry of Science and ICT website under the ‘Laws - Legislative Administrative Notice’ board, and opinions can be submitted via regular mail or email.