Insufficient coverage: South Korean 5G users can access 5G networks only 15% of the time

According to Yonhap News Agency, a report from industry tracking company OpenSignal showed that the frequency of Korean smartphone users accessing 5G network services is far lower than expected, and 5G users can only use 5G networks 15% of the time.

South Korea officially launched 5G mobile network in April last year. Currently, the country provides 5G services in non-standalone (NSA) mode, which requires relying on the existing 4G LTE network. Currently, South Korea's 5G mobile network services are limited to major cities such as Seoul.

According to OpenSignal's report, users of SK Telecom, South Korea's largest mobile operator, were connected to the 5G network only 15.4% of the time, followed by third-ranked mobile operator LG U+ (15.1%), while Korea Telecom (12.5%) ranked last.

For the rest of the time, 5G users have to rely on 4G networks, said the report, which tracked 218,095 devices in South Korea from February 1 to April 30.

The report said that when connected to the 5G network, LG U+ users enjoyed the fastest download speed of 237.2Mbps, followed by SK Telecom and Korea Telecom with download speeds of 220.4Mbps and 214.8Mbps, respectively.

South Korea has been actively promoting the expansion of 5G network coverage. In the first half of this year, the country's three major operators plan to invest a total of 4 trillion won (3.3 billion U.S. dollars) to expand new 5G infrastructure.

Although operators have been stepping up their efforts, their 5G network coverage is still limited, especially in indoor environments, which has led to consumer complaints. To address these issues, the South Korean government plans to deploy about 2,000 indoor 5G base stations this year.

According to data from South Korea's ICT Ministry, as of April this year, there were 115,000 5G base stations in South Korea, far less than the 870,000 4G LTE base stations covering the entire country.

South Korea aims to achieve nationwide 5G coverage by 2022.

South Korean operators have tested 5G SA services under limited conditions this year, but they have not yet been officially put into commercial use.

According to data from South Korea's ICT Ministry, as of the end of May, South Korea had 6.9 million 5G users, accounting for 10% of the country's 69 million mobile users.

Analysts predict that with the release of more 5G phones such as Samsung Galaxy Note 20, the number of 5G users in South Korea is expected to reach 10 million by the end of this year.