Korean carrier KT and compatriot tech company Samsung Electronics have launched what it claims to be the first 5G Standalone (SA) in the country, Samsung Electronics said in a release.
For this commercial launch, Samsung provided KT its end-to-end 5G network solutions from Radio Access Network (RAN) to core.
This achievement follows the two companies’ recent collaboration on the deployment of Korea’s first 5G SA and Non-Standalone (NSA) common core in the operator’s commercial network.
Since then, Samsung and KT have been preparing for 5G SA launch through multiple tests and trials in KT’s major offices and in urban areas, Samsung said.
Mobile operators in Korea had initially commercialized 5G networks in April 2019, but the networks relied on Non-Standalone (NSA) mode, requiring support from 4G LTE technology.
According to KT, 5G SA offers network services that have lower latency and better battery life.
KT also said the 5G SA service is available for its subscribers using Samsung Electronics’s Galaxy S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra devices. The carrier also said that it will work with other phone manufacturers to offer support additional devices.
Rival operators SK Telecom and LG Uplus are currently preparing to commercialize new 5G technology, including Standalone versions of the 5G networks and millimeter-wave 5G, according to previous reports. The mmWave 5G service will be initially available for the business-to-business segment. Operators have not yet finalized investment plans for the business-to-consumer sector, as the cost of building additional infrastructure still represents a major issue, according to the reports.
In July of 2020, Korean mobile operators SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus had agreed to invest a total of KRW 25.7 trillion ($22 billion) through 2022 to boost 5G infrastructure across the country.
Also, South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT recently announced it will award 28 GHz and sub-6 GHz spectrum in November to boost the use of 5G-related services across the country. The frequencies will be available for mobile operators and for companies operating in different verticals. The Korean government announced it will make available a total of 600 megahertz in the 28 GHz band and 100 megahertz in the 4.7 GHz band.
The 28 GHz band will be divided into 12 blocks and the 4.7 GHz band into 10 blocks, respectively. The spectrum in the 4.7 GHz band will be offered to non-telecom companies.
South Korea ended May with a total of 15.84 million 5G subscribers, according to the latest available data from the Ministry of Science and ICT.
5G subscribers at the end of May accounted for 22% of the total 71.45 million mobile subscriptions in the country.
Despite the rapid deployment of 5G service in Korea, some subscribers have criticized the low quality of services. Approximately 520 mobile users in Korea have recently filed a joint lawsuit against the country’s three main mobile operators due to the alleged low quality of 5G mobile services.
The legal action argues that mobile carriers SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus have offered incomplete 5G services, leading to poor network quality, Kim Jin-wook, an attorney at Korean law firm Joowon, reportedly said.
