SKT and KT Ultimately Ignore 'Senior 5G Plans'

Government: "Seniors Must Also Pay for 5G Plans"... Telecom Companies: "Discounts Already Provided"
5th Year of 5G Commercialization Next Year... Need for More Diverse Plans

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Su-yeon] Although the government has pushed for the launch of a 'Senior Specialized 5G Plan' within this year, only LG Uplus has introduced a related plan. SK Telecom and KT argue that since they already offer discount benefits to seniors, a separate plan is unnecessary, showing a significant difference in stance from the government.

According to the Ministry of Science and ICT on the 16th, no 5G senior plans had been reported as of the previous day. SK Telecom, the leading operator, is subject to the provisional notification system when launching a plan. This system allows the government to review and approve or reject a plan within 15 days after the operator reports it. Typically, telecom companies submit and launch plans around the same time. Considering the provisional notification period, launching a senior plan within this year is practically impossible.

At the National Assembly inspection in October, Minister Lee Jong-ho of the Ministry of Science and ICT stated, "We will launch customized 5G plans for seniors and youth by the end of the year." However, no concrete discussions have yet taken place regarding the senior specialized 5G plan. A ministry official said, "To launch within this year, the plan should have already been reported and reviewed, but realistically, (launching within this year) is difficult," adding, "The government continues to urge operators to design and launch 5G plans similar to LTE senior plans."

Among the three major telecom companies, LG Uplus is the only one to have launched a senior specialized 5G plan. In 2019, LG Uplus introduced the '5G Light Senior' plan, offering 8GB of data (QoS 1Mbps) for 45,000 KRW per month. Considering that the general consumer 5G Slim+ plan offers 6GB of data (QoS 400kbps) for 47,000 KRW per month and the 5G Light+ plan offers 12GB (QoS 1Mbps) for 55,000 KRW per month, this is significantly cheaper.

The other two companies have been silent for three years. Since they already provide discount benefits to users aged 65 and older, it is reported that they have conveyed it is difficult to offer additional discounted plans. However, as demands for plan diversification from the government and users continue, various plans are expected to be launched next year, marking the fifth year of 5G commercialization.

Earlier in August, the three telecom companies launched mid-tier 5G plans offering 24 to 31GB of data for 50,000 to 60,000 KRW per month. Although this approaches the average traffic per 5G subscriber (about 28.1GB), the gap with the next tier (110 to 150GB) remains large, leading to calls for new plans. A senior official from the Ministry of Science and ICT said last month, "A new plan in the 30GB range has been introduced, but logically, plans in the 50GB and 70GB ranges should be launched as stepping stones," adding, "Otherwise, they will face criticism from consumers."