The average 5G download speed in major Korean cities was 1121.54Mbps, up from 1035.46Mbps the previous year
The 5G transmission speeds of South Korea’s three leading mobile carriers improved by an average of 9.2% in 2024 compared to the previous year, significantly enhancing the quality of 5G services, according to a report by the Korean government.
These findings were revealed in the “2024 Communication Service Coverage Inspection and Quality Evaluation” report, recently published by the country’s Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Information Society Agency (NIA).
In major metropolitan areas, including capital Seoul and six other cities with the highest density of communication service users, KT ranked first in terms of 5G transmission speed. Nationwide, including smaller cities and rural regions, SK Telecom led in speed. The average 5G transmission speed across the three carriers reached 1025.52Mbps, up from 939.14Mbps recorded in 2023.
The official data also showed that SK Telecom achieved a 5G speed of 1064.54Mbps, while KT and LG Uplus reached 1055.75Mbps and 956.26Mbps, respectively. While SK Telecom improved its speed by 77.00Mbps compared to 2023, KT narrowed the gap significantly with an increase of 106.87Mbps, according to the report.
The average 5G download speed in major cities was 1121.54Mbps, up from 1035.46Mbps the previous year. Small and medium-sized cities recorded 1101.53Mbps, a hike from 962.07Mbps in 2023. Rural areas, though still slower, improved to an average speed of 645.70Mbps from 607.86Mbps last year. Despite narrowing the gap between major cities and smaller cities, disparities with rural areas remain notable.
In major metropolitan areas, KT recorded an average download speed of 1152.75Mbps, surpassing SK Telecom’s 1151.26Mbps. LG Uplus followed in third position with 1060.61Mbps. Remarkably, the combined average 5G speed of the three carriers (1025.52Mbps) is more than three times faster than the 5G speeds reported by seven major overseas countries in November by the Korea Telecommunications Operators Association (KTOA). It is nearly 1.8 times faster than Norway’s average of 584.14Mbps, the fastest among the seven countries.
Lee Do-kyu, communication policy officer at the Ministry of Science and ICT, said: “This evaluation is significant as it is the first quality assessment conducted in the year when the nationwide 5G network was completed.” Lee highlighted the need for continuous investment by carriers to address quality gaps in indoor shadow areas and rural regions. “We will continue to encourage qualitative improvements in communication services such as 5G and refine the system so users can experience the benefits of the evaluation results,” he added.
South Korea has been at the forefront of 5G technology, becoming the first country to commercially launch 5G services on April 3, 2019. This milestone was achieved through the simultaneous deployment by the nation’s three major telecommunications operators: SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus.
By the third quarter of 2024, 5G connections in South Korea had reached 36.11 million, according to previous reports. Korean operators had reached nationwide 5G coverage in April 2024.
