Assemblyman Kim Kyung-jin: "5G Regional Neglect Must Be Resolved Quickly"

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Representative Kim Kyung-jin (Gwangju Metropolitan City Buk-gu (Gap)) pointed out that "the neglect of 5th generation mobile communication (5G) in the provinces must be resolved as soon as possible."

On the 31st, Representative Kim stated, "5G base stations are still concentrated in the metropolitan area, causing severe communication imbalance between regions," and added, "South Korea commercialized 5G services for the first time in the world last April, but since then, non-metropolitan areas have not been able to use 5G services smoothly."

According to data submitted by the Ministry of Science and ICT to Representative Kim, about 42% (38,975 stations) of nationwide 5G base stations are concentrated in the Seoul and Gyeonggi areas, revealing a serious communication gap between regions.

In particular, among the six nationwide regions (Gyeonggi, Yeongnam, Chungcheong, Honam, Gangwon, Jeju), the Honam region including Gwangju (9,009 stations, 9.7%) was found to have fewer 5G base stations, following Jeju (1,634 stations, 1.8%) and Gangwon (2,848 stations, 3.1%).

Representative Kim emphasized, "Although I pointed out the same issue during last year's national audit, 5G service subscribers in the provinces still do not receive high-quality services," and added, "Moreover, the concentration of 5G base stations in the metropolitan area raises concerns about regional imbalance in the development of related industries."

He continued, "With the establishment of AI industrial complexes and AR·VR startup support centers, the Gwangju region is preparing to become a central city in the era of the 4th Industrial Revolution," and added, "The Ministry of Science and ICT, as the responsible ministry, and the three telecommunications companies must resolve the regional imbalance of 5G base stations as soon as possible so that the neglect of 5G in the provinces does not become an obstacle to Gwangju's growth."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.