SK Telecom Requests Additional 40MHz Allocation of 5G Frequency Band

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] SK Telecom submitted an official letter to the government on the 25th proposing that other telecom operators besides LG Uplus secure 5G frequencies under the same conditions before proceeding with the auction.

SK Telecom stated that the current 5G frequency allocation has lost fairness as only certain operators benefit, and therefore the auction should take place only after a plan is established that benefits customers of all three companies.

As a way to enhance the benefits for all customers of the three companies, SK Telecom also proposed putting up for auction an additional 40MHz of 5G spectrum (two 20MHz bands) in the 3.7GHz or higher band, another 5G band. This aligns best with the government’s originally stated purposes for frequency allocation: ‘customer benefits’ and ‘investment promotion.’

SK Telecom said this proposal would allow all three companies to secure additional 5G frequencies, enabling fair competition and contributing to the benefits of all citizens. In particular, it emphasized that frequencies in the 3.7GHz or higher band should be allocated together to promote investment in domestically produced telecom equipment.

While LG Uplus subscribers in adjacent bands can enjoy benefits immediately with existing devices upon frequency allocation, SK Telecom explained that customers of the other two operators in remote bands cannot benefit even if their operators acquire the frequencies, as there are currently no devices supporting Carrier Aggregation (CA) technology for these bands.

Although Samsung Electronics’ ‘Galaxy S22’ devices are expected to support this function, adequate support for users to benefit will only be possible in 2024.

An SK Telecom official said, “For these reasons, the two operators are requesting allocation conditions,” adding, “If this is not resolved, 5G frequencies that can equally enhance customer benefits must be allocated together to create a fair competition environment.”

He further explained, “When the frequencies that most significantly affect service quality are supplied to only one operator, other operators cannot overcome fundamental quality differences for a certain period despite efforts and investments to respond. Therefore, we earnestly requested additional frequency allocation.”