Following SKT, LG Uplus Also Launches New Mid-Tier Plan...Entering the Era of 5G 30 Million Users

New 4 Plans of 50GB, 80GB, 95GB, and 125GB Added
Life Cycle Customized for Childcare Families and Seniors in Their 70s and 80s
Nationwide 5G Subscribers Expected to Surpass 30 Million

Following SK Telecom, LG Uplus has also introduced new mid-tier 5G plans. The main focus is to provide benefits tailored to the life cycle of the entire population, from data-heavy users in their 20s to families raising children and seniors in their 70s and 80s. As the three major telecom companies successively launch new mid-tier plans, it is expected that the number of 5G subscribers in South Korea will soon exceed 30 million.

On the 11th, LG Uplus announced the launch of a ‘Life Cycle 5G Plan’ that expands customer choices, reduces communication costs, and increases benefits according to usage patterns by generation. The company also completed the Ministry of Science and ICT’s terms of service notification procedure the day before.

The newly launched plans and benefits include ▲ four mid-tier 5G plans priced between 60,000 and 70,000 KRW ▲ a plan offering up to 60GB additional data for customers aged 29 and under ▲ zero-rating for job seekers on employment and job sites ▲ data vouchers supporting childcare families for up to 24 months ▲ and three senior plans available for those aged 65, 70, and 80 and above.

First, the four mid-tier 5G plans feature monthly fees in the 60,000 to 70,000 KRW range with upgraded data allowances and quality of service (QoS) speed limits. Specifically, these are ▲ 5G Standard Essential (70,000 KRW · 125GB) ▲ 5G Data Super (68,000 KRW · 95GB) ▲ 5G Data Plus (66,000 KRW · 80GB) ▲ 5G Data Regular (63,000 KRW · 50GB). Notably, for the first time in the telecom industry, the mid-tier 5G plans priced in the 60,000 KRW range allow users to continue using data at speeds up to 3Mbps after exhausting their basic data. A 3Mbps speed is sufficient for smooth HD video streaming.

Additionally, to provide substantial benefits to customers aged 29 and under who use large amounts of data, a ‘5G Youth Plan’ will be introduced in July. Users of this plan can use up to 60GB more data compared to existing plans. Customers using unlimited data plans priced at 85,000 KRW or more can also use up to 30GB each of tethering and sharing data on second devices such as laptops and smartpads.

In May, LG Uplus will also launch two ‘5G Direct’ plans available exclusively through its official online store, Uplus.com. Furthermore, all 5G Direct plans will be improved to offer additional data to customers in their 20s with the ‘5G Youth Direct Plan’ (to be introduced in July).

Customers in their 20s using the 5G Youth Direct Plan with unlimited data priced at 59,000 KRW or more per month will receive an additional 30GB each of tethering and sharing data monthly. Those using the 5G Youth Direct Plan priced at 51,000 KRW or less will receive up to 60GB of additional basic data per month.

Alongside this, LG Uplus will expand the ‘Direct Plus Bundle’ discount, which offers up to 14,000 KRW off monthly bills for customers in their 20s, to customers in their 30s next month. This is a friend-bundling product allowing up to four people who subscribe to the ‘5G Direct Plus 69’ or ‘5G Direct Plus 59’ plans on Uplus.com to join together.

To support young job seekers, LG Uplus will provide data usage benefits with zero-rating. From May 15 to April 30 next year, zero-rating will be applied to 10 government-operated employment and job-related websites, including Worknet. Zero-rating means that the telecom company does not charge for data usage when accessing specific websites or services.

Also, for the first time in the telecom industry, LG Uplus will offer data vouchers to busy families raising children after childbirth. In the second half of this year, parents using LG Uplus mobile services who submit a birth certificate or family relation certificate at any LG Uplus store or customer center nationwide will receive a monthly 5GB data voucher for one parent until their child reaches 24 months of age.

The new 5G senior plans launching on May 1 will increase the data allowance of the existing single senior plan (5G Light Senior) and add two more plans segmented by age group.

For example, a customer using the 5G Senior Plan A priced at 45,000 KRW per month who turns 70 according to their resident registration will automatically be switched to the 5G Senior Plan B priced at 43,000 KRW the following month, receiving a discount benefit. This ensures that customers aged 65 and above receive the same amount of data regardless of the plan, and the automatic senior plan switching feature is expected to be implemented from October.

As telecom companies continue to launch mid-tier 5G plans, it is anticipated that the number of 5G subscribers will soon surpass 30 million. According to wireless communication service subscription statistics compiled by the Ministry of Science and ICT, as of February, the number of 5G subscribers in South Korea was 29,130,731, representing an approximately 2.03% increase from the previous month. This accounts for 37.5% of all mobile communication subscribers.

Initially, the telecom industry expected to surpass 30 million 5G subscribers last year but did not achieve this. However, with the introduction of new mid-tier plans expanding user choices, it is expected that each telecom company will find it easier to attract additional new subscribers.