Survey on Mobile Carrier Satisfaction Shows SKT, LGU+, KT Ranking for Two Consecutive Years

Korea Consumer Agency Surveys 1,855 Telecom Subscribers
Average Monthly Cost of Budget Phones 44,000 KRW Less Than Major Carriers
Telecom Fee for 30s 75,000 KRW...Increase in Telecom Fees for 40s

This year’s survey on user satisfaction with the three major mobile carriers showed the same ranking as last year: SK Telecom, LG Uplus, and KT.

The Korea Consumer Agency announced the results of its survey on consumer satisfaction and usage patterns of mobile carriers on the 6th. An online survey was conducted targeting 1,855 consumers nationwide aged 20 or older who had subscribed to LTE or 5G plans under their own name with the same carrier for more than three months (1,500 from the three major carriers and 355 from MVNOs).

As a result, the overall satisfaction score for the three major carriers was 3.47 out of 5, with SKT scoring 3.55, LG Uplus 3.45, and KT 3.34. Compared to last year’s survey, the overall satisfaction increased by 0.05 points, but the ranking remained unchanged.

Looking into the service satisfaction details of the three carriers, satisfaction with customer consultation was the highest at 4.01 points, up 0.21 points from the previous year. However, satisfaction with usage fees was the lowest at 3.10 points, down 0.01 points from last year.

MVNOs showed relatively higher satisfaction in terms of usage fees and plan selection compared to the three major carriers.

The average monthly communication fee for MVNO users was 20,252 KRW, which was 44,775 KRW lower than that of the three major carriers (65,027 KRW). This amount includes communication fees as well as device installment payments, content usage fees, and paid additional service fees.

The proportion of MVNO users purchasing unlocked devices was 81.1%, significantly higher than the 37.2% for users of the three major carriers.

By age group, the 30s had the highest communication fees at 75,271 KRW, showing a difference of about 23,000 KRW compared to those aged 60 and above (52,444 KRW).

Compared to last year, the age group with the largest increase in average monthly communication fees was the 40s (up 5,178 KRW), while the 20s saw the largest decrease (down 7,301 KRW).

The complaint and damage experience rate among users of the three major carriers was 13.7%, down 3.4 percentage points from 17.1% the previous year. By type, 'unfair subscription inducement' was the most common at 36.4%, followed by 'poor service quality (data, calls, etc.)' at 29.6%, and 'contract cancellation/change penalty charges' at 28.6%.

The Korea Consumer Agency stated, "We recommended that carriers introduce customized plans for middle-aged and older consumers and improve services related to data quality."