OpenSignal Releases Report on Korean Mobile Market
"Korean Ultra-High Frequency 5G Will Enhance Competitiveness"
Other Countries Like the US Improving Customer Perceived Quality
As the three mobile carriers return the 5G 28㎓ frequency band, an analysis has emerged suggesting that South Korea's 5G leadership is being shaken.
On the 13th, the UK market research firm Opensignal released a report titled "Global 5G Benchmark: South Korea's mmWave Retreat Threatens 5G Leadership."
According to Opensignal's survey, South Korea's 5G download speed ranked first in the world at 427.1 Mbps, surpassing Singapore (375.5 Mbps) and Brazil (357.8 Mbps). However, the story changes when including millimeter wave (mmWave) 5G download speeds, a high-frequency band that South Korea is not currently servicing.
The report states that while the U.S. 5G download speed is 141 Mbps, its mmWave 5G download speed reaches 507.6 Mbps. In particular, AT&T's mmWave speed is 588.4 Mbps, which is seven times faster than its regular 5G download speed. Japan shows a similar pattern. Its 5G download speed is 156.2 Mbps, less than half of South Korea's, but its mmWave 5G download speed is 481.8 Mbps, surpassing South Korea.
Currently, 5G frequencies in South Korea are divided into sub-6 GHz bands used nationwide and mmWave bands above 24 GHz. SK Telecom returned its 28 GHz frequency in May, and KT and LG Uplus did the same last December after failing to meet the obligation to build 28 GHz base stations. All three carriers have thus abandoned mmWave 5G services. The government plans to allocate this band to new operators. Although mmWave is called the "dream 5G" because it offers faster speeds than sub-6 GHz, it has a shorter reach and weaker diffraction. Simply put, mmWave cannot bend around obstacles like buildings. Consequently, more densely packed base stations are required, demanding massive investment costs, making nationwide deployment difficult. Globally, mmWave is mostly used partially in densely populated areas.
Ian Fogg, Vice President of Opensignal, said, "Using mmWave improves average download speeds by 1.6 to 3.6 times and upload speeds by 1.7 to 2.4 times," adding, "If Korean carriers provide mmWave 5G services, it will help them achieve world-class competitiveness." He also noted, "South Korea has the fastest 5G download and upload speeds globally and the second-highest availability (percentage of 5G connection time), but other countries are enhancing customer-perceived quality through mmWave 5G. As other countries have started mmWave 5G services before South Korea, the country's 5G leadership has become precarious."
In terms of 5G video experience, scores also increase when mmWave is commercialized. Among U.S. carriers, Verizon scored 73.8, T-Mobile 69.6, and AT&T 69 out of 100. In South Korea, SK Telecom scored the highest at 74.4, followed by LG Uplus at 73.4 and KT at 71.6. Vice President Fogg stated, "Through mmWave, U.S. operators can now compete with South Korea. The 5G mmWave video experience in the U.S. scored 5% to 13% higher than the overall 5G video experience."
The three carriers argue that without a proper business model and supporting devices, it is difficult to bear the enormous deployment costs, making it challenging to offer 5G services using the 28 GHz band. On the other hand, the government sees the utilization of 28 GHz as necessary for the long-term development of telecommunications services. Essentially, the government and Opensignal share similar views.
Park Yoon-kyu, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, said at a press briefing last month, "Looking at overseas cases, there is clearly technological potential, and advanced countries are moving to realize it," adding, "From a policy perspective, expertise in the 28 GHz band will be helpful for moving toward 6G."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
