"Despite Installing as Much as LTE During COVID-19," Telecom Companies Bear 5G Burden, Facing Customer Complaints Challenge

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Jo] "The speed has increased significantly. The problem is customer complaints. Although the number of complaints has decreased considerably compared to the early commercialization stage, it is still twice the level of LTE. We are working hard to reduce (customer complaints)."

As quality controversies surrounding 5G persist, the burden on the telecommunications industry, which has taken on the challenge of investing in 5G, is growing heavier. Approximately 9 trillion KRW was invested last year, the first year of commercialization, but due to the characteristics of the frequency bands, more investment than LTE is inevitably required, and it is expected to take considerable time to provide services at LTE levels.

On the morning of the 23rd, Ryu Jeonghwan, head of SK Telecom's 5GX Infrastructure Group, explained the status of 5G network construction since commercialization in April last year at a pre-briefing for the '5G Technology Seminar' held at Euljiro Ferrum Tower, dividing the explanation into coverage, speed, latency, and 28GHz.

First, Ryu said, "Due to differences in construction methods, building a nationwide 5G network requires more than twice the number of devices compared to LTE, and it is impossible to utilize already installed equipment. When LTE nationwide network was built in 2012, 100,000 base stations were installed, but 5G will exceed 200,000."

From April last year to August, a total of 100,000 5G nationwide network facilities were built by SK Telecom over 17 months. This is similar to the number of facilities (90,000) built during the initial 18 months of LTE construction (July 2011 to the end of 2012). Despite difficulties in 5G network construction due to the COVID-19 pandemic this year, investment levels similar to those during LTE were maintained.

He expressed regret over the ongoing 5G quality controversies, saying, "LTE could utilize the 2G network. It took 25 years to complete the current LTE quality. 5G operators face difficulties because they cannot use this infrastructure at all." He added, "We have installed a lot in Seoul and metropolitan cities. By 2022, we will focus on 85 administrative districts and build a shared network by operators to provide proper services as much as possible."

Regarding 5G speed, which indicates quality, Ryu explained that it has increased from 164 Mbps at commercialization last year to 1.0 Gbps currently. This is about six times the download speed. However, he noted that it will take considerable time to reach the highest speeds expected in the 5G era. He said, "People often compare with LTE. When LTE first came out, the speed was 75 Mbps, and the current 5G speed is 2.75 Gbps. To reach 20 Gbps, technical elements such as equipment need to be incorporated, so it will take time."

He pointed out customer complaints as the biggest current issue with 5G. Ryu emphasized, "Although complaints have decreased by 91% compared to the time of commercialization, they are still twice the level of LTE," adding, "We will strive to reduce (customer complaints)." He also mentioned ongoing improvement efforts with major players regarding latency and plans to commercialize 28GHz possibly within this year.

SK Telecom plans to expand coverage mainly based on the 3.5GHz band NSA (Non-Standalone) mode and provide optimal networks tailored to individual service characteristics through the 28GHz band and SA (Standalone) technology secured in the first half of this year.

Ryu explained, "Considering radio wave characteristics and technical methods, 28GHz and SA are suitable for B2B specialized services in terms of speed, stability, and perceived quality." Regarding SA, he said, "It supports network slicing technology and fits well with 5G characteristics, but in the initial stage, combining with LTE to achieve fast speeds, as in the current NSA method, has advantages. Therefore, like 28GHz, it is suitable to use it mainly for B2B."

Unlike existing 5G services that run 4G and 5G in parallel, 5G SA supports only 5G, providing higher quality. Also, the 28GHz band network, which secures ten times the bandwidth compared to the 3.5GHz band, is considered essential infrastructure to realize the Fourth Industrial Revolution era, including smart factories and smart cities.

Ryu emphasized, "With the confirmation of the 5G SA standard 'Release 16' in July, the 5G evolution roadmap has been established, so securing a 5G B2B business model that can lead the market is crucial." However, he added that equipment miniaturization is necessary for B2B.

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